The Last Gift She Expected
by Psyanchosis
Summary: Completed, but a sequel IS COMING! The Three Stooges are planning a surprise party...
1. The Secret Plan : Out of Practice

My first fic, so be nice. Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations, let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Locations, characters, ideas and themes present in this fan fic are used without permission from Mr. Anno or Gainax.  
  
Bah! Stupid italics not working!!! Ah well, for the time being, instead of being in proper italics, thought pieces are in the funny box-brackets, [like this], at least until I can get italics to work. What? Are you laughing!? C'mon, I'm new at this.!  
  
And, without further ado...the new and improved, slightly formatted.  
  
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 1: The Secret Plan//Out of Practice  
  
--------------  
  
[God, how long does it take to fill up one shopping bag?]  
  
Shinji looked in front of him. The cashier was helping an old lady with her shopping. He stood in line, clutching a bag full of instant noodles, instant curry, and instant every other bloody thing. Thankfully next week it wasn't Misato's turn to cook. The air conditioners were on full blast in the supermarket, and the chill cooled Shinji off a bit, at least until he had to trudge home with the shopping. The weather report suggested 39 degrees this afternoon...  
  
Hmph. So much for the express lane... Shinji thought to himself as the cashier turned to him at last. He dumped the bag onto the counter and glanced at the cashier. It didn't take long for Shinji to recognise who it was.  
  
"Kensuke?"  
  
He looked up. "Hey, Shinji! Fancy seeing you here." Kensuke looked at the bag. "Misato cooking again?"  
  
Shinji sighed. "Yeah. Can't she cook real food or what? Anyway, I didn't know you worked here..."  
  
Kensuke glanced at Shinji. "Yeah, well, not everybody gets to pilot an E-"  
  
"Shhh!" Shinji hushed. "Ix-nay on the Eva-hey! Some people are under the impression that I'm bad for business.."  
  
"Oh, sorry. Uh, that'll be...3468 yen."  
  
Shinji felt into his pocket for the 5000 that Major Katsuragi had left him when his mobile rumbled in his other pocket. Pulling it out, he held it to his ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Ikari! It's me, Toji."  
  
Shinji handed Kensuke the money, and took his groceries to the side so that he could talk to Toji. "Hey, how you been?"  
  
"Yeah, alright."  
  
"So how are things with you and Hikari?"  
  
"Yeah, great. Listen, you know what's coming up, right?"  
  
Shinji instantly knew what he was going to say. Asuka's brithday was next Monday. She hadn't shut up about it for the last month. Gathering all the sarcasm he could muster, he said, "Gee, it's on the tip of my tongue...nothin' to do with Asuka, is it?"  
  
"Yeah. Well anyway, we're planning a surprise party for her this weekend, and we wanted to know if you're in."  
  
"Yeah, why not? Nothing better to do, unless the long-lost 19th Angel attacks. Count me in." "Good. We'll have the party at Misato's place, and-"  
  
"WHAT!? That tiny place?! No way that'll fit everyone."  
  
"Why not? Who'd want to come?"  
  
"Well, there's me, Asuka, Misato, you, Hikari, Kensuke (Kensuke's head turned when he heard his name), Rei, Dr. Akagi and Maya..."  
  
"That shouldn't be a problem."  
  
Shinji caved in. "I guess it isn't that bad. Sounds good, Toji. Anyway, I've gotta get this shopping home."  
  
Toji sounded bemused. "You're at a checkout?"  
  
"Yeah. I've just been talking to Kensuke."  
  
"Oh. Well, tell him I said 'Hi'. Seeya, Shinji."  
  
"Bye." Shinji closed the phone. He turned to Kensuke. "Toji says 'Hi'. We're throwing Asuka a surprise birthday on Saturday. You coming?"  
  
Kensuke nodded. "Sure, I'll come."  
  
"Great. I'll see you round then." Kensuke waved, and Shinji walked out of the supermarket. The blast of heat hit him like a ton of bricks.  
  
[Awwww....]  
  
------------  
  
Shinji kicked his shoes off, while juggling the shopping. "I'm home!" he shouted.  
  
Deep within the house, Misato responded. "Welcome home!" At about the same time, Asuka shouted from her room, "Hey, Shinji!"  
  
Shinji dumped the sprawling mass of packet mixes and two-minute noddles onto the table and walked to the living area. Misato was watching some soapie on the television, and Asuka had just bundled up all her washing, taking it to the laundry. When Asuka was gone, Shinji rushed to Misato.  
  
"Misato! Get Dr. Akagi on the phone, quick!"  
  
Misato was surprised. "Why? What for? Why do you need Ritsuko?"  
  
"Just do it! I'll explain when Asuka's gone!"  
  
Misato punched in Ritsuko's home number. Shinji snatched the phone from Misato, and ran for his room, making it just in time before Asuka walked out of the laundry. Asuka watched the flimsy door slam shut behind Shinji. She turned to Misato, a puzzled look on her face.  
  
"What's that dumbkopf up to now?"  
  
Misato shrugged. "Not a clue..."  
  
-----------  
  
Shinji sat on his bed, phone pressed to his ear, waiting for Ritsuko to pick up. Oh, cmon, Ritsuko...  
  
Finally, he heard someone pick up. "Uhn...hello?"  
  
Shinji was surprised by who it was. "Miss Ibuki? What are you doing at Ritsuko's place?"  
  
Shinji heard a shuffle over the line, making out the words "gimme that", "quick, get it out", and a few ahs and ouches. Ritsuko's voice now sounded on the line. "Mmm...who is it?"  
  
Shinji was confused. "I'm sorry, Rits...I mean Dr. Akagi. Uh, did I get you out of bed? And why is Miss Ibuki there?"  
  
Ritsuko sounded embarrased. "Uh....erm...ah, nothing. She's not even here. That was me. Now what do you want?"  
  
Shinji realised what was going on. His face got redder. "Uh, I caught you at a bed, I mean bad, time, didn't I?"  
  
Ritsuko sounded more embarrased. "Uh, no, not at all..." A muffled "quit it, I'm on the phone", followed by a low moaning sound.  
  
Shinji's face glowed. Thermal expansion took place. "A really bad time..."  
  
Ritsuko snapped. "Aw, what did you call me for, you little pervert!?"  
  
Shinji went out of his little daze. "Uh, I was wondering if you could get Asuka out of the house sometime today, you know for a sync ratio test or something."  
  
"Why?" More muffled panting and moaning, more thermal expansion on Shinji's behalf. Ritsuko was starting to sound short of breath.  
  
"By the way, you and Miss Ibuki are invited to the surprise birthday party we're planning for Asuka. We just need some time away from her to organise it."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, no problem. Aah!" Ritsuko gasped. Speaking away from the phone, "Quit it! It's Shi-ooh..." Ritsuko continued. "I can get her in at at about two o'clock, okay?"  
  
Shinji thanked her. "That's great, thanks. I'll leave you to it then..."  
  
"Leave me to it? What are you implying, you little...ah, aaah!"  
  
Shinji hung up. He looked down. Oh God...  
  
----------  
  
Meanwhile, Toji was spreading the word to Hikari.  
  
"So the party's gonna be at the Major's place?"  
  
Toji nodded. "Shinji's organising that as we speak. Dunno how he's gonna get away from Asuka though."  
  
"Are we allowed to bring drinks?" Hikari asked.  
  
"Are you kidding? Who needs to bring booze? There's enough alcohol in Misato's fridge to drown an Angel."  
  
Hikari giggled. "No kidding?"  
  
"Well, that and canned coffee."  
  
"Uh...are you going?"  
  
"Yeah, I might as well." He winked at Hikari. "But I wasn't intending on staying there..."  
  
Hikari smiled. "Oh, you devil, you..." More giggling...  
  
-----------  
  
Sure enough, later that afternoon, Ritsuko called the Katsuragi apartment. Shinji was first to pick it up.  
  
"Um, hello?" he answered.  
  
"Ah, Shinji," Ritsuko said. "Is Asuka there?"  
  
"Yeah, good, thanks, Dr. Akagi."  
  
"Shinji, just call me Ritsuko. You're not at work anymore."  
  
"Sorry, Ms Ritsuko. I'll get Asuka." Shinji put down the phone. Ritsuko grumbled inaudibly. When is that kid gonna grow some balls? Then Asuka picked up the phone.  
  
"Alo?"  
  
"Asuka. It's Ritsuko here. Listen, we, er, need you to, um, pick up new ID cards from NERV HQ. Yeah, we've updated the files and you've gotta come and pick them up."  
  
"Huh?! You want me to walk to NERV headquarters just to pick up some new ID cards?! Mein gott!"  
  
"Uh, you're also scheduled for a Sync Ratio test at 16:30..."  
  
"Whaaat!? But we've killed all of the Angels! Why do we still need Sync tests?!"  
  
"Because you're still required for, uh, other duties. Maybe the Angels will come back, I don't know. Whatever the reason, you're still in NERV's employ, so you still have to perform these tests."  
  
"Oh, alright...I'll go tell Shinji..."  
  
"No no, Asuka, just you. Shinji did his the morning. I believe he was to do the shopping on the way home."  
  
"Okay...see you in a minute."  
  
"Oh, before you go, can you put Shinji on the phone?" "Huh? Oh, sure. Bye" Asuka put the phone on the counter and sighed. She called out to Misato from the kitchen. Shinji walked into the kitchen. "Ah, nein...they want me for a sync test..." Asuka turned to Shinji. "I didn't know you did a sync test this morning..."  
  
Shinji thought quick. "Um, yeah, I was a bit rusty though. I only got a 72.3..."  
  
Asuka gave a quick laugh, and with "Ritsuko wants to talk to you", walked in to the lounge to find Misato.  
  
Shinji picked up the phone. "Dr. Akagi?"  
  
"Listen. About this morning. You might have heard some...strange noises over the phone..."  
  
"No, but I did hear Maya cleaning out your insides with her tongue..."  
  
"Just keep it under your hat, alright?"  
  
"Okay. Bye Dr. Akagi." Shinji hung up. Meanwhile, Asuka had just found Misato.  
  
"Can you give me a ride in?" Asuka asked her.  
  
"Sorry, I've have four this morning, this one's my fifth," Misato slurred, shaking an almost empty can of beer, "Heh, I'm wasted..."  
  
Asuka stood there, blood boiling, before finally snapping. "Feh! You lazy slob!" With that she stormed out of the apartment.  
  
Shinji watched her leave. "Hmph. Seeya, Asuka."  
  
Misato turned to Shijni. "Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
Shinji faced Misato. "Well, me and Toji are, well, we're organising a surprise party, uh, here, and uh-"  
  
"No way."  
  
Shinji looked at Misato. "Cmon, at least her me out..."  
  
"I've already sorted out a party."  
  
"Oh. Really? You organised it?"  
  
Misato stood up. "I'm going in to buy supplies. Then we can figure out what sort of present we're getting her."  
  
"Huh?" Shinji was astonished by Misato's sudden motivation. "You can't drive in, can you? Like you said, you've had five. You're wasted..."  
  
"Oh really?" Misato shoved the can into Shinji's vision. It looked like an ordinary can of beer, but the top section of it had been taken off and forged back on. "What the-?"  
  
"It's not beer. It's coffee. The beer can is a decoy. I use it to get Asuka out of the house. Aoba and I were organising the party at NERV. If we have it there, it'll be fully catered. We just tell Asuka that the Commander wants to see her. She won't expect a thing! All we need to do is get the drinks, and sort out who's coming and who isn't."  
  
Shinji frowned. "But the Control center is classified, isn't it? All of our friends from school won't be able to come..."  
  
"Oh, they can. They just have to be silenced afterward." Shinji gasped. Misato got the reaction she was looking for, and laughed. "Just kidding. Fuyutski's already drafted a contract, binding them to keep their clams shut about the whole thing. They just need to sign it."  
  
Shinji stood there, mouth wide open. "Miss Katsuragi...I've never seen you so organised before, and that's counting all of the Angel attacks combined..."  
  
Misato blushed. "Aw, hold the applause. Now, who else did you say was planning the party here?"  
  
"Uh, just me and Toji. Kensuke knew, and Hikari should know about it too..."  
  
"Well you better tell them otherwise."  
  
"Uh, yes ma'am." Shinji was amazed at how efficient Misato could be, when she wants to be. "Misato?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You're a genius!"  
  
----------  
  
Fuyutski stood as he always had, at the right hand side of his one superior. He was still unsure of the Major's plan to use the Control center as the venue for a kegger.  
  
"Commander, are you sure that it won't be a problem for the Major to host her...party...in the Control center? Surely you too think that this idea is insane? Do you really want to let a bunch of kids run throughout our facilities...especially that little militant brat with the camcorder..."  
  
"Fuyutski..." Ikari spoke.  
  
"...uh, yes, sir?"  
  
"..." Ikari stayed silent for a while, not quite sure how to put it.  
  
"...Sir?"  
  
"...Lighten up, Fuyutski..."  
  
Fuyutski was dumbfounded.  
  
----------  
  
Kensuke ejected a thick spray of Coke over Toji's face when he heard the news.  
  
"WHAAAAT?! ASUKA'S PARTY'S GONNA BE AT NERV CENTRAL?!"  
  
Toji immediately went from soaked and enraged to soaked and astonished.  
  
Shinji's voice barely registered in Kensuke's brain from the mobile. "Yeah, I was surprised too. But there's this contract you gotta sign that says you have to keep your mouth shut about what you see. I'm not sure what it says about cameras or camcorders. You'll just have to read through it when you get a copy. Is that alright with you?"  
  
Kensuke was clearly disappointed. "Oh, what a bummer...but just to see what NERV central looks like inside...count me in!"  
  
"What does Toji say?"  
  
Kensuke turned to Toji. Toji was doing a good imitation of a supercharged drummer bunny with a high sugar count programmed to say "I get to see NERV HQ!" over and over again.  
  
Kensuke laughed. "Yeah, I think he likes the idea, Shinji!"  
  
"Great!" Shinji said. "Well, you should get your contracts in the mail tomorrow. Hand them in to Misato before the weekend and she can get temporary ID cards done up..."  
  
"WE GET OUR OWN NERV ID CARDS?! SWEEEEEEEEET!!!" Toji immediately went from soaked and dancing back to soaked and astonished.  
  
"Well, see you later, Kensuke."  
  
"Seeya Shinji, and thanks again!" Kensuke hung up.  
  
Shinji was sitting at his desk. In his left hand was a can of Misato's "beer", in the other his cell phone. A crack of sunlight shone onto a list on his desk. He put down the phone and grabbed a pencil. Looking at the list, he put a tick next to Kensuke and Toji. He then looked down the list. As well as Kensuke and Toji, there were ticks next to Hikari, Dr Akagi (Shinji mentally slapped himself. It's Ritsuko now...), Ms Ibuki (slap Maya...) a couple of Asuka's friends, Misato, and Hyuga. A question mark stood next to Aoba, who was coming down with the flu, and said that he would go if he could make it. Big red "M"s were beside Fuyutski and Gendo. [Leave those ones to Misato.] That left two more people on the list.  
  
"Ayanami..." Shinji sat still for a while before standing up and going to the door.  
  
----------  
  
Shinji pressed the buzzer for the third time. Still no response. Shinji tried to recall whether Rei had any sync ratio tests or experiments today. As he turned away from the door, he heard a response from the speaker, so soft it was almost a whisper.  
  
"Who is it?" It was Rei. Shinji turned around and pressed the button that enabled him to talk.  
  
"It's me, uh, Shinji Ikari. I, uh came to tell you, uh, can 1, um, well, you see..."  
  
As he stammered on, the door creaked open. Rei was standing there, in her regular school uniform. Shinji stood there gazing at Rei. There was a long silence between the two, until Rei spoke.  
  
"Come in, Ikari," she said. She stepped aside, motioning a hand indoors. Shinji obeyed her and entered.  
  
Rei's apartment was just as dull and grubby as he had remembered it. Not as many bloodstained bandages, though. Rei sat down on her bed, then looked at Shinji. "You were saying?"  
  
"Oh, right." Shinji could already feel butterflies in his stomach. Why did he get this strange nervousness around her? There's something about her that just...feels... Damn, the message!  
  
"Um, there's a, uh, party at NERV Central for Asuka's..."  
  
"I know." Rei interrupted. "It was my idea."  
  
"Your idea?" Shinji was amazed.  
  
"What's so surprising about it?" Rei inquired.  
  
"Well, you're usually so, ah, quiet, and...uh..."  
  
"I suggested the idea to Major Katsuragi, who asked the Commander. The Major said that the idea was mine, so Commander Ikari allowed it."  
  
"I see..." Shinji couldn't get over the fact that Rei came up with the idea. It just seemed...wrong.  
  
"Yes. I'm coming." Rei answered the question that Shinji was too busy stuttering to ask.  
  
"Oh...that's, um, good..." Shinji turned around, for some reason unable to face her. Somethig about her didn't seem right. It wasn't like Rei to plan a party. Usually she avoided that kind of thing.  
  
Suddenly, Shinji felt a hand on his shoulder. It pulled him around, and he came face to face with Rei. His deep brown eyes met with her...unnatural...red eyes, as they had done once before.  
  
"I'll see you there." she said softly, as she leaned closer. Their lips touched. Shinji's heart broke land speed records. Rei leaned further. Her eyes closed. Shinji's were wide open, like a rabbit caught in high beams. Slowly, Shinji felt his nervousness drift away. All the tension that was there between the two evaporated while their lips remained as one. After what seemed like an eternity, Rei broke the kiss. Shinji stumbled backward through the door. They looked at each other for a moment.  
  
"I'm sorry I startled you...Shinji..." That was the first time Rei had ever used his given name. The door closed between them. Shinji's heart finally began to slow. He couldn't move...  
  
-----------  
  
Asuka sat inside Unit 02, bored out of her mind.  
  
[Sheist, I forgot how boring these tests were. I mean I remember that it was basically sitting in the claustrophobic's nightmare of an Entry Plug, trying to breathe this pea-soup LCL crap.]  
  
But she forgot the one thing she always did to pass time in the plug. What was it? Oh yeah! She was supposed to concentrate on synchronising with her Eva. Oh shit! She hadn't even been trying! What would Ritsuko say about her sync rate being zero!? Asuka got really worried. She opened her eyes to see the frown on Ritsuko's face, only to find that Dr. Akagi wasn't there.  
  
"Hey! Ritsuko! Where the hell are you?"  
  
No response. Asuka sat there fuming at her being ignored, especially during a sync test.  
  
A few minutes later, when Ritsuko came back, Asuka was waiting. "Finally! Where the hell were you, Ritsuko?"  
  
Dr. Akagi snapped. "Firstly, you're at work now, so to you it's Dr. Akagi, and secondly, I was talking to the Commander."  
  
Asuka was still angry. "Oh yeah? About what?"  
  
Ritsuko was, of course, planning the party catering. She had to think on her feet. "Uh..." She gazed down at Asuka's monitor and saw "Maximum Synchronisation: 0.3%".  
  
"About your pathetic sync ratio!" Ritsuko sounded angry.  
  
Shit! Asuka knew she was in trouble. "I'm sorry," she stammered, "I'm just a...little off today..."  
  
"Honestly, I understand that you haven't done this for a while, but 0.3% is ridiculous!"  
  
Asuka was slightly bemused. Wow, I didn't even think I got that...  
  
"I took it up with the Commander, and he is reconsidering your employment here..."  
  
Asuka was shocked. "Oh, c'mon! It's not like there are thousands of people on your Marduke Report..."  
  
Ritsuko smiled. "No...just three."  
  
Asuka immediately petrified. "Three others?!"  
  
"Yes. The most qualified is a boy from Australia by the name of Cyan Monteru. His first sync ratio result was in the mid sixties, which is nothing compared to Shinji and Rei, but if your results don't improve rather drastically, then I think we might need to call a replacement. With a bit of training, we should have him piloting in no time."  
  
Ritsuko was almost cracking. [Cyan Monteru...what a good one.] God knows where she pulled a name like that from. She could hear that it was having the desired effect. Asuka, most unusually, was dead silent.  
  
"But...but...I...pl..."  
  
"Open the plug! Asuka, get changed and go home. Commander Ikari and I will discuss your situation. You'll have one more sync test on Saturday at 18:00. After that, the Commander will talk to you directly."  
  
Ritsuko was hysterical. Thankfully this didn't show. [Maybe I've been too hard on her...] She closed the monitor program off so that she could look at the direct video feed from the plug. Immediately she felt terrible. Asuka, hands over her eyes, was sobbing uncontrollably, her watery tears created ripples through the thicker LCL. [Oh my God...] The first pangs of guilt stabbed at Ritsuko's heart...  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
How bad has Ritsuko injured Asuka's pride? Will Asuka be alright for her surprise party? What has made Rei act so...not Rei? Find out this and more in the next exciting installment of The Last Gift She Expected!  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations, let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Locations, characters, ideas and themes present in this fan fic are used without permission from Mr. Anno or Gainax.  
  
Author's Note: Hopefully this is better than the giant block paragraphs than last time, and you can tell the difference between thought and plot. I'll work on formatting Chapter 2, then I'll put up Chapter 3. Hopefully, it won't take that long. Until then, sayonara! 


	2. Pizza, the Matrix and Afterwards

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations, let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Locations, characters, ideas and themes present in this fan fic are used without permission from Mr. Anno or Gainax.  
  
Last time on The Last Gift She Expected... The Three Stooges come up with the idea of a surprise birthday party for Asuka, only to find that they are beaten to the punch by Rei, who has Misato and Commander Ikari planning a party in NERV headquarters! Also, Shinji makes the world-shattering discovery that Ritsuko is in fact a lesbian! Meanwhile, Asuka performs poorly during a sync test. Ritsuko, trying to keep the surprise under wraps, takes a lie too far by threatening Asuka with her position as an Eva pilot!  
  
And without further ado... The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 2: Pizza, the Matrix and Afterwards  
  
------------  
  
Shinji put down the phone. He ticked off the last name on the list. [That'll be interesting, seeing Misato and Kaji together again.] There. Now every name was accounted for. Misato had called and told him Gendo was coming, but Fuyutski wasn't. Shinji hid the list in one of his drawers, and walked out of his "lovely suite". All of a sudden, the front door burst open, and Asuka ran into her room, crying her heart out. Shinji watched in astonishment as Asuka slammed her door after her.  
  
[What happened to her? First Rei kissing and now this...] Shinji's sense of comradeship forced him to try and comfort Asuka. He walked slowly to Asuka's door.  
  
"Are you alright in there?" Shinji asked.  
  
Nothing but sobbing. Clearly she wasn't alright. "Uh, can I come in?"  
  
Amongst the sobbing, Shinji heard a "mm-hmm". Shinji gently pushed open the door, and saw Asuka slumped over the futon, hiding her face. Shinji walked over to her, and knelt down.  
  
"What's the matter, Asuka? Did...something happen during the sync test?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Rit..suko...she left me in the plug...I got a 0.3..."  
  
Shinji knew how low 0.3% was. [I didn't even think a score like that was possible...]  
  
Asuka continued. "She said...that...that they...THEY'RE GONNA FIRE ME!!!" Asuka wailed, like a wounded child.  
  
Even Shinji found this difficult to comprehend. Why would Ritsuko threaten to fire Asuka over one bad sync ratio test?  
  
"It's alright, it's alright..." Shinji found his hand on Asuka's back, rubbing up and down. "They've giving you a second chance, aren't they...? They've got to..."  
  
Asuka lifted her head. Tears were streaming down her cheek. The sobbing slowed down a little.  
  
"Ritsuko said...that they'll retest me Saturday night...then the Commander will tell me what'll happen...after that..."  
  
Shinji wondered what this all meant. Then it clicked.  
  
"Mein gott..." Shinji uttered. Misato told him earlier that day, 'We just tell Asuka that the Commander wants to see her. She won't expect a thing!'  
  
[Ritsuko Akagi! Koitsu! How could she!?] Shinji's blood boiled over. He wasn't going to stand for this. A new wave of resolve swept over him, something he had felt only a few times before...courage.  
  
Asuka was still considerably upset, but was slightly confused by Shinji's use of German. "Huh...?"  
  
"Don't worry..." Shinji said, surprising even himself with his boldness. "You sit here...I'll take care of it." He reached his arm around, and gave Asuka a firm, supporting hug. Then he stood up, and left the room. Asuka, through tears, was stunned by Shinji's newfound strength.  
  
----------  
  
Shinji left the house, and reached for his mobile. Walking towards the lift, he pushed "Memory". Scrolling back a couple of calls calls, he found Ritsuko's home number.  
  
After a few rings, he got the answering machine. "Hi, you've reached Ritsuko Akagi. I'm not home right now, but if it's an emergency, my mobile is..."  
  
Bingo! Shinji made memory of the number. Walking back to the apartment door, he punched the number in. He waited for Ritsuko to answer her mobile. Finally, the dial tone stopped.  
  
"Ritsuko here," she answered.  
  
"HOW THE HELL COULD YOU DO THAT!" Shinji screamed.  
  
"Oh, Shinji," Dr. Akagi said dully, not realising how livid the Third Child was. "It's only you."  
  
"WHAT DO YOU FUCKING MEAN IT'S ONLY ME!? YOU THINK I'M ANY LESS PISSED OFF!?" Shinji's voice got lower.  
  
"Listen, I know-"  
  
"NO, YOU LISTEN! YOU KNOW WHAT ASUKA'S LIKE! YOU'VE DESTROYED HER! YOU BROUGHT HER TO TEARS! I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY! YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, YOU PUSSY-LICKING OLD BITCH, COZ IF YOU WERE, I'D RIP YOU A NEW FRIGGIN ASSHOLE!"  
  
Ritsuko was shocked. "What...did you call me?"  
  
"You heard me, you fucking bimbo, you may as well tell her she's gonna die Saturday! Unless you didn't notice, Asuka's sole reason for living is being an Eva pilot!"  
  
"But Shinji, it-"  
  
"IT-WHAT?! It was all you could come up with? All you could think of? You had to have thought of it, I know for a fact that Misato can't be that...VILE!"  
  
"GOD-DAMMIT, SHINJI...!"  
  
"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! You have no right to be angry!"  
  
Little did Shinji know that Asuka had emerged from her room, and was standing just behind the door.  
  
"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO HER!? IT WAS ONLY ONE GOD-DAMNED SYNC TEST! YOU CAN'T FIRE SOMEONE AFTER ONE BAD TEST! I BET YOU DIDN'T EVEN CHECK THE SENSORS! HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY WERE EVEN ATTACHED!? HUH?! COME ON DR. DICK-FOR-BRAINS! ANSWER ME!!!" Shinji thundered.  
  
"I'M SORRY! ALRIGHT!?" Ritsuko was in tears now. Shinji heard a click.  
  
Asuka was standing there, mouth wide open. [THAT was Shinji!? Mein gott...all that...for me?]  
  
Shinji stood there, mobile still against his face. [THAT was me!? My God...all that...for her?]  
  
The door opened behind him. He turned around. Asuka was there. They looked at each other for what seemed an eternity. Asuka's face was covered in salty residue. Her face was still in a kind of half-cringe. Shinji's face was flushed with anger, but it quickly faded. Asuka's twisted face slowly reformed into a loving smile.  
  
"Oh, Shinji!" Asuka half ran, half fell into Shinji, her arms shooting round his waist, her head flopping over his shoulder. Shinji placed one arm around her back, and closed tightly. They stood there, outside their apartment, each relaxing in the other's embrace. They held each other for a longer eternity. Finally, Shinji twisted, resulting in both of them facing the door, one arm around the other's back.  
  
"C'mon," Shinji said, as they walked in, "I'll fix you up something to eat."  
  
-----------  
  
Ritsuko closed her phone. Slowly putting it back in her pocket, she didn't know what was more surprising: Shinji standing up to her like that, or Shinji standing up to her like that for Asuka. Ritsuko was stunned by the sheer intimidation Shinji displayed, even over a phone. She felt tears spring to her eyes. [My God...he really has changed...he finally got some balls...] Ritsuko sat there for ages, shocked at how much Shinji had grown to be like his father...  
  
-----------  
  
Asuka had just cleaned her face in the bathroom. Shinji was in the kitchen, getting all kinds of ingredients out, under the assumption that Asuka wanted her favourite from back home, apple strudel. Asuka looked at the ingredients, and shook her head.  
  
"No thanks, Shinji," Asuka said half-heartedly.  
  
"No, go ahead, Asuka. My treat, on the house."  
  
Asuka's brain ticked over. "Why are you doing all this?"  
  
Shinji stopped and turned around. "What do you mean, why am I doing this?"  
  
He walked over to Asuka, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm doing this because I care for you. What Ritsuko did was wrong. I don't know if she realised it, but she took the one thing you care most about, and threatened to take it away from you, for absolutely nothing. You've got no idea how out of line that is."  
  
Asuka looked into Shinji's eyes. "And another thing," Shinji continued. "They screwed up. They're supposed to attach electrical sensors to you to measure your heartbeat, remember? 0.3% is impossible. Twenty, maybe, but not under one percent."  
  
Asuka cheered up. "You're right. Thanks, Shinji..."  
  
Shinji smiled warmly, then went back to the cooking.  
  
"Hey Shinji."  
  
Shinji turned around, about to dump a cup of flour into a bowl.  
  
"How about I show you how to cook pizza?"  
  
Shinji almost laughed. "Peetzah!? What on earth is that!?"  
  
Asuka smiled broadly. "Gott! Sixteen years of age and you haven't heard of pizza!"  
  
Silence prevailed until Asuka said, "Well are you gonna let me show you?"  
  
Shinji stepped back. "Be my guest!" he said light-heartedly.  
  
Asuka walked into the preparation area, reshelving some of the ingredients, and pulling out the entire vegetable drawer of the fridge. Dumping it on the table, she took the bag of flour, emptied it into the bowl, and mixed in a bit of water.  
  
"This...isn't German?"  
  
"Are you kidding? You seriously haven't heard of pizza before? It was all the rage pre-Second Impact...Anyway, it started in Italy."  
  
"Italy?"  
  
"Now it's part of the European Alliance. Most of it's underwater now. It was that funny shaped country in the south shaped like a boot."  
  
"....oh."  
  
Asuka now proceeded to knead the dough. "Here, Shinji, you can do this," she said, taking her hands out of the dough. "Just make sure that there aren't any pockets of flour."  
  
Sounds easy enough. Shinji put his hands in and squashed the dough about. Meanwhile, Asuka cut up some of the vegetables. "Shinji, do you know where the cheese is?"  
  
"In the fridge door."  
  
"How about the ketchup?"  
  
"Third shelf in the cupboard."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Before long, Asuka had a nice little collection of diced vegies on the bench. "How's that dough coming along?"  
  
Shinji took out his hands, peeling off some excess dough. "Looks good. Give it here."  
  
Shinji handed the bowl to Asuka. Asuka emptied the bowl into her hands, streched the dough out in a rough circle, and twisted it into the air. The dough spiralled, twisting out further, and landing in Asuka's outstretched hand, an almost perfect circlular patch of dough.  
  
Shinji had never seen Asuka cook before. She seemed so confident in the kitchen.  
  
Asuka was still throwing the dough into the air. "It's not that hard, really. The technique is all in the wrist. You just need practice..."  
  
Asuka went for another fling into the air, but this time, her arm caught on her ribcage, throwing the dough off target. Asuka shouted in surprise as the dough flew straight into Shinji's face. Asuka laughed uncontrollably as Shinji stumbled blindly into the table, tripping over a chair and landing on the ground. Shinji sat up, flopping the dough into his open hands. Asuka was hysterical, doubled over laughing. Shinji didn't last much longer, as he chuckled, then laughed, then split his sides laughing. After a while, Shinji went to get up again, slipped on some spilled water, falling forward, pushing the flour over the far edge and down a bent over Asuka's front. Asuka was stunned by the recent turn of events, and fell victim to another fit of giggles. Shinji found this quite amusing, and tried to ask if Asuka was alright through laughing. By some act of God the pizza base had landed perfectly in the round tray.  
  
A few minutes of laughing later, and Misato arrived home.  
  
"I'm home! Get ready for the best tasting curry of yo......" Misato was confronted by a kitchen covered in flour, Shinji and Asuka even more so, holding themselves upright, with great big grins on their faces.  
  
Misato tried hard to stop from laughing. She tried to think of her favourite soapie, a couple of the Angels, of Kaji, anything to stop from laughing. It didn't work.  
  
Misato burst out laughing. "Who hit our humble abode with an N2 flour bomb!?"  
  
Shinji and Asuka calmed down, as Misato left, hysterical, tears springing from her eyes.  
  
"So, is making a peetzah always this funny?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Only when you stuff up..." Asuka giggled softly.  
  
----------  
  
"Hey, Asuka, this peetzah stuff is good!" Shinji was enjoying a fat ol' slice of pizza.  
  
"Heh, I thought you'd like it, Shinji,"  
  
Misato had already enjoyed half of the pizza and took off for work, leaving the two pilots with the rest, minus one slice for PenPen.  
  
"I suppose you learned to cook like this in Germany?"  
  
"Yeah. I can cook this, apple strudel, much better than yours by the way, and I do a good flake 'n' chips..."  
  
"Wow...Japan really is different to Europe..."  
  
"Tell me about it. Back home we sleep in beds."  
  
"You mean off the ground? Wierd..."  
  
Shinji and Asuka sat back in front of the TV, watching some vintage movie called Matrix Reloaded. The plot was a tad weak, but the special effects were okay. The main guy, Neo, was bashing the crap out of about sixty black suits when Asuka spoke to Shinji.  
  
"Uh, Shinji..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"About this afternoon...I...never knew you cared so much for me...it really...touched me..." Asuka's head dropped down.  
  
"It's alright, Asuka..."  
  
"No, let me finish. Ever since I came here, I've made life hard for you, I've been a constant bitch, I know. But you...you still came to my aid."  
  
"Like I said before, it's..."  
  
"And...well...to be honest, that was the nicest, most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me..."  
  
"Oh, gee, Asuka...I only did what I thought was right..."  
  
"Well...it meant a lot to me...thanks, Shinji..."  
  
"Uh, don't mention it..."  
  
Asuka's eyes went back to the TV. The camera was twisting around some guy dodging bullets. A pretty dodgy special effect, really. After a few minutes:  
  
"There's something else I've got to tell you..."  
  
Shinji turned away from the screen. Asuka was getting nervous, for some reason.  
  
"I..." Her face was going red. How was she going to say this? [I know exactly how to say it. I - love - you. There. Three simple friggin words. Why are they so hard to say?] It's been in the back of her mind ever since they defeated the 7th Angel, that bastard who split into two seperate Angels. That was what brought them together in the first place. Being tied together for almost a week straight will do that to two people. But since then, Shinji was becoming more and more...likeable.  
  
"Asuka?"  
  
"I...love...you...Shinji..."  
  
Shinji's heart jumped. That...was a little unexpected. Not that he didn't feel the same way. They'd both saved each other's asses multiple times, and he had begun to...like...Asuka's bubbly personality. In fact, it had begun to rub off on her. It was as if he had a piece of Asuka in him, in his soul...in his heart...  
  
"I...love you too, Asuka..."  
  
Their eyes met. Asuka's deep blue eyes were admittedly more beautiful than Rei's penetrating blood-red ones. They stood up as one. Walking towards each other, Shinji and Asuka embraced. Their eyes still locked, their stomach slowly filling with butterflies, they each leaned closer, craning their necks. Closer and closer, finally their lips met, and they kissed. Each closed their eyes, and leant closer, passionately kissing. Both of the lovers were surprised how...right this felt. They continued to show their love for a while. When they had had enough, the credits for Matrix Reloaded were rolling. They sat down beside each other, moving the table that usually seperates them aside.  
  
----------  
  
At about 02:00, Misato got home from NERV HQ. Misato was surprised to see that her TV table was a mere couple of feet away from the wall. Shinji's and Asuka's cushions were right next to each other. What the!? Misato moved quietly to Shinji's Lovely Suite. Slowly creaking open the door, Misato peeked inside. His bed was empty. Moving back to Asuka's room, Misato opened the door even more slowly. Sure enough, Shinji and Asuka were lying with each other atop Asuka's futon. Misato smiled, and closed the door.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Shinji and Asuka!? What would the rest of the Stooges say? What would Asuka's friends say? How many self-respecting fan fiction fans didn't see this coming?!? Don't miss the next exciting chapter of The Last Gift She Expected!  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Locations, characters, ideas and themes present in this fan fic are used without permission from Mr. Anno or Gainax.  
  
The Matrix: Reloaded used without permission from Warner Brothers. 


	3. Sohryusensei : Laughter at the Mall

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations, let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Locations, characters, ideas and themes present in this fan fic are used without permission from Mr. Anno or Gainax.  
  
Last Time in The Last Gift She Expected... Asuka is incredibly distraught over her bad sync test, partly because of Ritsuko's terrible lie. Shinji is the only one available to comfort her. After dinner and a movie, their outlook on each other is tipped on their respective heads. Taking comfort in each other's arms, they confess their love for each other. Surprise, surprise...  
  
And without further ado...  
  
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 3: Sohryu-Sensei//Laughter at the Mall  
  
The next morning, Asuka was first to wake up. She became aware of a pair of arms around her waist. This at first shocked her, until she realised they were Shinji's. Asuka rolled over, ending up facing Shinji in his embrace. Asuka slid her arms around Shinji's back, and closed her eyes, drifting to sleep again.  
  
Shinji felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He ignored it, only for it to happen again. He turned over, flipping Asuka with him. He saw PenPen, lookng at him, then Asuka, then him again, his feelings clear.  
  
"It's alright, PenPen," Shinji whispered, "She meant to this time..."  
  
PenPen's small eyes widened. He left the room, hoping to bring this to Misato's attention. Shinji turned back around, looking at Asuka. Her eyes still closed, he went back to sleep...  
  
--------------  
  
A few minutes later, Asuka awoke, and held Shinji. Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, Asuka woke Shinji. "Hey, Shinji..."  
  
Shinji opened his eyes. "Mmm...good morning, Asuka."  
  
They sat up, rubbing their eyes, then looking across at each other.  
  
Asuka rubbed her eyes, trying to get a focus. Shinji was sitting up, rubbing the beck of his neck.  
  
[Damn, these futons are lumpy...] Asuka went to stand up. Shinji looked across at Asuka for a split second. He gasped in surprise, and jerked his head away. Asuka wondered why he reacted so, or at least until she looked down.  
  
"Gaah!" She dived back under the covers. Damn! Why did I kick off my panties last night?  
  
Asuka's face turned red. Shinji's head was still turned away. She leaned over and pecked Shinji on the cheek.  
  
"It's alright, Shinji," Asuka said, reassuringly, "I always kick them off in my sleep. You didn't..."  
  
Colour returned to Shinji's face. "Oh, what a relief..."  
  
"Plus, nothing you haven't seen before, right?" Asuka remembered their first meeting, back in the middle of the Pacific.  
  
Shinji laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I also remember you saying I 'wasn't much to look at'..."  
  
Asuka laughed. "Ha ha! Yeah, I remember that...Shinji, do you mind getting up first? Just so I can..."  
  
"Oh, yes, of course..." Shinji got out of bed. Leaving the room, he closed the door behind him. Asuka stood up, and immediately went across the room to her drawers. Slipping on a fresh pair of panties, she dove into her wardrobe, looking for something to wear.  
  
The toaster popped. Shinji took out the toast, buttered it and sat down to eat. On the floor, PenPen started to chow down on his breakfast pilchards. Asuka sat down next to Shinji with a bowl of Coco Bubbles.  
  
Shinji started to chuckle to himself inexplicably. Asuka turned to him "What's so funny, Shinji?" "Have you ever seen Misato in the morning?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Hmm...come to think of it, no..." Asuka replied, "I've never been up early enough."  
  
"You're in for a surprise..." Shinji said. Almost instantly, Misato's door sprung open.  
  
A bedraggled mess of purple hair and pyjamas walked into the kitchen. "G'morning, Shinji," Misato yawned.  
  
Asuka was speechless. Her image of Misato as an organised, intrepid leader of NERV was shattered forever.  
  
Misato went to the fridge and fished out a can of Yebisu. Flipping the top, she sculled it, and whooped when she was done. "Ahhh! I needed that! What a way to start the day!"  
  
Asuka was shocked, slowly smiling. "Misato!?"  
  
Misato opened her eyes. "Asuka!? What are you doing up so early!?"  
  
"You know, Misato, beer so early in the morning can't be too healthy..."  
  
"You gotta problem with tradition, Asuka? Don't you know that the traditional Japanese breakfast used to be steamed rice, miso soup and a little sake?"  
  
Asuka laughed. "Yeah. A little sake. Not a whole can of beer."  
  
Shinji chuckled to himself. Misato was left fuming, as she had done after the argument with Shinji on the same matter. Misato stormed off to the shower. Asuka was laughing.  
  
Shinji put a hand on Asuka's back. "Welcome to the family, Asuka..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Long story. Anyway, what are you doing today?"  
  
"Well, I'm going to go to the mall to look at what I'll buy with all of my birthday money..."  
  
"Hmm...you don't sound too happy."  
  
"Well, back home, someone's birthday was a big event. Over here, no one makes any big deal about it. It just feels wrong..."  
  
Just then, the phone rang. Asuka leant over the table to pick it up. "Alo?" she answered.  
  
It was Ritsuko. "Oh, Asuka. I just called to say sorry, about yesterday. I was a little stressed, and you didn't have the sensors on anyway. I'm sorry I went off at you."  
  
Asuka smiled. "That's okay, Doctor. I'm fine now."  
  
"That's good to hear. You're still coming in for the retest though."  
  
"Oh, okay. Thanks, Ritsuko."  
  
"No problem. Is Shinji there?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll get him." Asuka handed the phone to Shinji. "It's Ritsuko." She then walked off to the toilet.  
  
Shinji took the phone. "Hey Ritsuko."  
  
"Shinji, I just apologized for yesterday afternoon. I only realised what I'd done when I turned on the video feed from Asuka's plug. I didn't mean to hurt her like that. I did take it too far, and I'm sorry."  
  
"That's okay, Ritsuko. And yesterday morning's safe with me."  
  
"Good. Listen, Shinji. Tonight, we're gonna need a little more time after Asuka's sync test. The caterers won't be in until 19:00."  
  
"How much do you need?"  
  
"About two hours."  
  
"Jeez, that's a bit hard...I'll try, but no guarantees."  
  
"Thanks, Shinji. Bye!"  
  
"See you later." Shinj put down the phone. Asuka walked out and stretched her arms into the air. "So, what do you have planned for today, Shinji?"  
  
"Well, uh...I don't know yet... How about I take you shopping for your birthday present?"  
  
Asuka cheered. "Yay! Sounds good!"  
  
Shinji smiled. [Maybe keeping her busy for a couple of hours might not be so hard after all...]  
  
---------------------  
  
Misato had dropped around to the Suzuhara residence. She pressed the buzzer, to attract some attention inside the house. A middle aged woman opened the door. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Ms. Suzuhara?" Misato beamed. "I am Major Misato Katsuragi, and..."  
  
"Oh, you're the one who Toji and Kensuke are always bringing pictures and home videos home of..."  
  
Misato felt a flush of embarrassment. "Well, I hope not..." letting out a nervous chuckle.  
  
"Anyway, may I ask why you're here?"  
  
"Oh, of course. I need to see Toji and Kensuke quickly."  
  
"Sure, I'll get them. Come in if you want." Ms. Suzuhara went inside, and Misato followed.  
  
Toji and Kensuke were taking turns playing Grand Theft Auto: Tokyo-2 on the Suzuhara family's ancient PlayStation3.  
  
"Boys, someone from NERV wants to talk to you. Ms Katsuragi?"  
  
Toji almost instantly shot his head away from the game and turned to the Major.  
  
"Ms Katsuragi! What a pleasant surprise!"  
  
Kensuke pushed Toji out of the way, aiming a camcorder at Misato. "Why're you here, Misato?" Misato fished around in her pockets. She pulled out a pair of cards.  
  
"Here are your ID cards, boys," she said, handing Kensuke and Toji their cards. "You'll need them to get into the building tonight. Now, Asuka's robably going to leave after her sync test at about 18:00, so be careful not to get caught."  
  
Kensuke jerked his hand. Looking down, "Oops. I dropped my card."  
  
Misato smiled. [Friggin' perverts.] "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll get that." Misato knelt down, making sure not to show Kensuke any cleavage. Kensuke whined quietly to himself. The boys thanked Misato for the cards. Misato turned for the exit. "Well, I've gotta go back to the office. I'll see you two later, then."  
  
Misato left. Ms. Suzuhara turned to Kensuke. "Give me that camera."  
  
"Aw, cmon, Ms Suzuhara..."  
  
"Don't 'cmon' me, young man," she scolded Kensuke, "Now gimme the camera."  
  
Kensuke handed over the camera. Suzuhara pulled open the camera, and took out the disk. Handing back the camera, she snapped the disk in half. Kensuke choked back a cry of disapproval.  
  
"Women are not objects, Kensuke," Ms Suzuhara finished.  
  
--------------------  
  
Ritsuko was on the bridge, in the Control center, supervising Maya and Hyuga putting up balloons.  
  
"A little to the left...no, your other left..."  
  
Misato walked in. Ritsuko greeted her.  
  
"Hi, Misato. Did you get back in touch with the caterers?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. The cake will get here at 18:10. Asuka should be in her plug by then. They're bringing in all of the snacks and drinks in about two hours."  
  
"15:30!? Isn't that a bit early?"  
  
"You can't have them bring it all in while Asuka's in the plug! There's just too much food."  
  
"Okay, fair enough. Just crank up the air conditioning." Ritsuko looked back up at Maya and Hyuga's balloons. "Perfect!" she said, giving a thumbs up.  
  
"So, what are we getting Asuka?" Misato asked.  
  
"Well, we were thinking of..." Ritsuko leant in and whispered into Misato's ear.  
  
"Hmm, that's a pretty good idea, Ritsuko," Misato commended her.  
  
"Yeah, I figured she would like something like that."  
  
"So, when's she due to turn up for her sync test?"  
  
"18:00. I've already organised Shinji to keep her busy for two hours after that. We should have plenty of time."  
  
"Just remember to attach the sensors this time." Misato shot Ritsuko a furtive look.  
  
Ritsuko laughed. "Ha. Yeah, I better remember this time."  
  
----------------  
  
Asuka clung to Shinji's arm as they walked through the mall.  
  
"Thanks for taking me shopping, Shinji." Asuka gushed.  
  
"Aww, it's nothing," Shinji replied. Lucky I hardly ever use my credit card. It'll probably be maxed out by the end of the day...  
  
"So, what do you want for your birthday, anyway, Asuka?"  
  
Asuka inhaled heavily. "Swimwear!" she squealed as she ran into the MegaMart right in front of them. Shinji was pulled behind Asuka towards the Swimwear section. While being pulled through most of the two floor complex, Shinji caught a glimpse of a blue haired girl in the Confectionaries department. Asuka finally stopped when she had reached her destination. She immediately rummaged through the racks, looking for the latest two pieces and bikinis. Shinji turned back the way he came, and ran into Rei.  
  
"Hi, Rei," he said.  
  
"Hello, Ikari," Rei said. "I suppose you are buying Pilot Sohryu a present?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, as he nodded his head in the Swimwear direction. A head with red hair was going through a rack labelled "New Fashions".  
  
"I see. I do not know what to get her yet."  
  
"Nor did I. She took me here."  
  
Rei nodded. "I will see you later, Ikari."  
  
Shinji waved. As Rei turned around, Asuka had walked up behind Shinji with a mountain of material in her arms.  
  
"Hey Shinji," Asuka asked, "Do you know where the fitting rooms are? I might try some of this on..."  
  
Shinji looked around. "I think they're back near the entrance..."  
  
Asuka smiled. "Well, come on!" Grabbing Shinji with her arm, she walked briskly to the fitting rooms. Shinji looked across at the Confectionary section again. Rei was there again, moving away towards the checkout. Shinji felt a sharp jerk in another direction. Asuka's grasp slipped, and Shinji slowed down. Asuka continued her fast pace toward the fitting rooms. Shinji followed at a less frantic pace. Asuka obtained a pass from the person manning the stalls, and went to the first empty one she could find. Shinji walked up and sat in front of it. [It shouldn't be too bad, Shinji thought to himself, I mean every single payment from NERV's in there. I haven't spent much...]  
  
"Shinji? Are you there?" Asuka called out from inside the booth.  
  
Shinji replied. "Uh, yes, I'm here," he called out.  
  
"I'm throwing over my clothes. There's not much room in here..."  
  
Shinji's face flushed. "Uh, okay, throw them over..."  
  
Asuka's dress was lobbed over the top of the cubicle door. Shinji was there to recieve. Shinji bundled it up and placed it on the seat next to him. He heard shuffling behind the door, and then it swung open. Asuka was standing there, wearing a blue floral two-piece.  
  
"Wow," Shinji said, "That looks really good on you. It brings out the color of your eyes..."  
  
Asuka did a small pirouette. "Really? You think so? I kinda like it as well. Well, this is going on the Keep pile, then."  
  
Asuka shut the door again. Shinji tried to remember exactly how many sets Asuka took in there. He also tried to remember exactly how much money was in his bank account...  
  
It wasn't much longer when Asuka opened the cubicle again. This time she was trying out a plain yellow bikini. Shinji approved. "Nice, nice," Shinji smiled. "Er, I mean, it looks good on you."  
  
Asuka giggled. [Ah, that's the kind of response I want...not from the mind, from the body...]  
  
Asuka turned around, looking behind her at Shinji teasingly. She shut the door.  
  
Shinji got to thinking. I wonder what Misato and Ritsuko and them are doing with NERV Central. That place has about as much party appeal as a graveyard. I wonder how they're gonna make it look...fun...  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening again. Shinji looked up, and was shocked. Asuka was beaming as she spun around in a pink and red floral pattern string bikini. Shinji gaped at Asuka, and felt a trickle of blood from his nose, and more blood rushing elsewhere...  
  
[Bingo!] Asuka found the reaction she was looking for. "Ah, I think I'm done looking. Gimme back my dress and we can go pay for this stuff."  
  
"Uh, um, oh, yeah, sure," Shinji stuttered. Throwing Asuka back her clothes, she retreated to the cubicle again. Shinji felt an irregular bulge in his netheregions. [Thermal expansion...how embarrassing,] he though while he readjusted himself.  
  
--------------------  
  
Rei was walking out of the shopping center when spotted Hikari walking in. Rei decided that it would be polite to say hello. Rei walked over to her. "Horaki?"  
  
Hikari turned. "Oh, hey Rei," she said, nervous for some reason, "Didn't see you there..."  
  
"You are getting a present for Asuka as well?"  
  
"Well, yeah, I am. I'm thinking about getting her a new pair of shoes..."  
  
"If it helps, she likes red heels."  
  
"Oh, thank you, Rei..." Hikari smiled nervously. "Well, I better go. Not much time left now, eh?"  
  
"No...bye..." Rei said as Hikari walked off. Rei wondered why everyone was so nervous around her. Was it due to her appearance? Was she intimidating? Rei looked across at a polished steel panel, displaying her reflection. She saw a fourteen year old girl with pale blue hair and blood red eyes. She looked back across at Hikari, who had run into Toji. She smiled warmly as Toji greeted her. Rei looked at Hikari's smile, turned to the panel, and tried to emulate it. Rei was surprised by the result. She seemed more...like everyone else...more human... [All I must do to become more human is to smile?] Rei looked back at Hikari. Hikari was laughing now, probably at a joke.  
  
"Hee...hee...hee..." Rei tried to mimic Hikari once more. "Hee...heh...ha...ha ha...ha ha ha ha hah..."  
  
Many other patrons of the mall began to take notice of this young girl laughing for no apparent reason. Rei stopped laughing and looked around. The eyes of almost every person in the vicinity were locked on her. She felt a rush of blood to her cheeks. A strange fluttering in her stomach forced her to sit down, quickly. [Is this...embarrassment?] Rei chuckled to herself. [This is easier than I thought...]  
  
------------------  
  
"Dammit, not again!" Misato growled at her computer, angry at what it displayed. The cold, dark office she was given at NERV Central didn't help the mood either. A game of chess was displayed onscreen, and the white king (Misato's) was trapped between a black bishop, a black queen, and five or so of her own pawns. "CHECKMATE PLAYER 2" flashed across the bottom of the screen. A scoreline at the top of the screen said it all: 32-0 in Player 2's advantage.  
  
"If I ever find out who Player 2 is, I'll strangle him!!!" Misato was furious.  
  
Meanwhile, above NERV Central, in an abandoned building, Rei Ayanami sat at her laptop, with a similar screen, only hers read an opposite scoreline. "Amateurs," she smiled, as she asked Player 1 for another match.  
  
Misato, meanwhile, had emptied a shell into her monitor. At about this time, her fax buzzed and bleeped. A sheet of paper crawled out of the fax machine, and Misato picked it up to read it.  
  
"...Pilot Ikari...limousine...Mt. Asama...Pilot Sohryu..." Misato gave a wry smile.  
  
[Shinji looking for some private time with Asuka, huh?] Misato signed the clearance form, and faxed it back to the lobby. Kicking the deaded monitor off of the table, she walked to the closet, opened it and grabbed another monitor. Setting it up where her old monitor was, she clicked on the "Accept" button, eager to teach Player 2 a lesson. Just then, Ritsuko walked in.  
  
"Hey, Misato," she said, looking down at the monitor, "losing at chess again?"  
  
"OH, SHUT UP!" Misato snapped.  
  
Ritsuko laughed. "Listen, Maya's had a brilliant idea. You got some pictures of Asuka?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"Any, uh...incriminating pictures?"  
  
Misato smiled. "I'm listening..."  
  
------------------  
  
"So, what now?" Shinji asked his red-headed hottie.  
  
"How about we show these new threads off, hmm?"  
  
"Show them off where?"  
  
"At the pool, you stupid baka!" What used to be an insult had become an affectionate nickname.  
  
Shinji's heart sank. "The pool? Why do you want to go there?"  
  
"Why not?" Asuka turned around. Shinji seemed nervous at the mention of the pool. "Oh, I remember..."  
  
Asuka remembered how pathetic a swimmer Shinji was. Shinji nodded ashamedly.  
  
Asuka's face brightened. "Alright, then, I've got a better idea!"  
  
Shinji looked up. "What?"  
  
"I can teach you how to swim!"  
  
Shinji's heart skipped a beat. "You...teach me...how to swim?"  
  
Asuka's face gained a altogether more familiar, superior tone. "What? Don't think I can handle it?"  
  
"No, it's not that...you...you know what, why not? We've got use of the NERV limo. Let's go!"  
  
-----------------  
  
Misato knelt in front of her bedside dresser, pulling an old shoe box out of the bottom drawer. Opening it revealed a bundle of embarrassing photographs of most of her friends and acquaintances. Looking through them, she giggled. Among the handful of photos was a picture of Asuka and Shinji, both in red Unit 02 plug suits, Shinji trying to hide his endowments after their fight against the 6th Angel while aboard the Over The Rainbow; a picture of Asuka in her less than figure flattering heat resistant plug suit, before her fight against Angel No. 8 inside Mt. Asaga; a still shot from video footage of Asuka and Shinji in perfect synchronisation defeating the 7th Angel, a couple of the publicity shots of all three pilots, and a few assorted snaps of the pilots going about their everyday lives. She smiled, grasping all of the photoes and putting them in a bag. Maya was planning to have a montage board put up over the Magi, showing the pilot's fond memories. Misato hurriedly left the room before Shinji or Asuka got back. Now that shw was safely out of her room, she went to the lounge room, kicked back on the couch, and began an afternoon of channel surfing...  
  
Shinji was lucky that he suspected that a day near water was on the cards, and packed a pair of swimmers into his backpack. It had been about three months since his last trip to Mt. Asama, for Misato's birthday, and before that the last time was right after the 8th Angel. Now, he stood at the first step, waiting for Asuka to change into her choice of the twelve sets ([Twelve sets! I hope my bank account isn't too depleted. I still want to get her something else...]) of bathers, bikinis and other assorted swimwear. Almost as soon as the thought left his mind, Asuka walked from the female changerooms, in the blue floral two-piece, the one that brought out her eyes.  
  
"Hey, Shinji," Asuka said, almost seductively, "Ready for your first lesson?"  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be," Shinji said, "Lead, the way, Asuka."  
  
The short walk down the steps led to a pool, heated by the nearby volcano. Asuka stepped into the water first, briefly shocked by the temperature, then walking out deeper. Shinji followed her.  
  
"The most important thing to remember is that, in most cases, the human body floats in water. Try just floating on your back for a second."  
  
Shinji nodded, and lay back. Surprising to him, he didn't sink.  
  
"See?" Asuka quickly moved on. "Now, this is pretty tricky for a beginner, but you can give it a shot. You have to try and breathe out. This will make you sink a bit, but you should have plenty of time to breathe in again and float back up again. Just remember that water is a little thinner than LCL, so you'll sink a bit quicker in it."  
  
"Okay..." Shinji said, breathing out steadily. He noticed that he was sinking a bit, so he quickly breathed in again, floating back to the top just as Asuka said.  
  
"Hmm, this is easier than I thought..." Shinji didn't get a response. Shinji sat up in the water. "Asuka?"  
  
Suddenly, a figure jumped out of the water right in front of him, pushing him back into the shallow area. Shinji and Asuka both fell backwards, Shinji shouting in surprise, Asuka laughing at her prank.  
  
"Asuka!" Shinji half-growled, half-laughed. Asuka giggled. "At least you're able to float properly now."  
  
Shinji smiled. "So, what next, sensei?"  
  
"Sensei!? Ha! Good one. Well, we could work on your underwater skills." Asuka retreated to the deep end.  
  
Shinji waded back out.  
  
"Okay," Asuka instructed, "On the count of three, we both put our heads under the water. I'll hold up some fingers under the water, and you tell me how many I'm holding up."  
  
"Okay..." Shinji seemed a little nervous, but put his head under anyway. Asuka put her head down at the same time. Shinji opened his eyes underwater. It felt a little straining on the eyes, but he soon got used to it. He looked ahead and saw Asuka, giving him a V sign with her fingers. Shinji nodded and stood up.  
  
Asuka stood up as well. "Well?" she asked.  
  
"Two?"  
  
"That's right!" Asuka smiled. "We'll give it a few more goes to make sure it wasn't a fluke."  
  
"Okay." Shinji went under again, Asuka not far behind. This time, Asuka showed her left hand, holding back only her thumb. They resurfaced.  
  
"Four?"  
  
"Correct! Just one more time..." Asuka smirked before she went under.  
  
Shinji caught the smirk, and was sent into paranoia. [What was that all about?] Shinji shrugged and put his head under one last time.  
  
Underwater, Asuka put her hands behind her instead of in front of her. This confused Shinji for a little while, until he realised tht Asuka was undoing her top half. Shinji gasped, big bubbles of air escaping from his mouth. He immediately went up for air. Asuka was hysterical when she surfaced.  
  
"Aww, poor Shinji got embarrassed, huh?" Asuka taunted him, top off, but her assets lingering below (albeit dangerously close to) the waterline.  
  
Shinji felt the usual trickle of blood in his nostril. "Asuka!"  
  
Asuka laughed, and spear tackled Shinji into the water. They spent the next few minutes frolicking in the deep end, while the blue floral top half floated toward the shallow end.  
  
-------------  
  
Shinji huffed and puffed as he carried Asuka through the door. She had fallen asleep in the private NERV limousine back from the hot springs in Mt. Asama. Kicking open the door to Asuka's room, Shinji carried her to her futon, laying her on it. Shinji gave Asuka a small kiss, stood up and shut the door. Shinji turned around, and Misato was there, arms crossed. "Where have you been?" Misato questioned Shinji.  
  
"Me? Well I took Asuka shopping for a birthday present..."  
  
Misato took one look at Shinji's face, dripping with sweat. "Oh, sure..."  
  
"It's the truth!" Shinji insisted.  
  
"Seriously," Misato said, "You don't have to lie about it. It's none of my business, what you two do..."  
  
Shinji's face flushed. "What!? No! She's asleep..."  
  
Misato gave a devilish smile. "Oh, I wonder why, Shinji?"  
  
Shinji's nose began to bleed. "No!" he whispered, "Stop it! We went to Mt. Asama for the day..."  
  
"To the hot springs?" Misato grinned.  
  
"Gaah! Stop making everything I do sound so dirty!"  
  
"No, don't worry, Shinji," Misato smiled, "I believe you. I mean, I did have to clear the paperwork for the limo anyway."  
  
Shinji breathed a slight sigh of relief. "So, what are you doing back here? Shouldn't you be organising the..."  
  
"Maya wants some photos to put up on a montage board. I just came back to pick some up." "Really, what photos?"  
  
Misato glanced into her bag, then slowly panned back to Shinji. "What, photos, Misato?" Shinji said it slower this time.  
  
Misato's smile broadened. Shinji grasped for the bag, but Misato twisted away, running out the door. "See you tonight, Shinji!"  
  
Shinji chased Misato out the door. "That better not be me in Asuka's suit!" he yelled after her.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Will Rei be able to do the impossible and become more human before the party? Will Shinji beat his problem with a certain rule of physics? Will Misato finally beat Rei at chess? All these questions answered, and more, in the next installment of The Last Gift She Expected!  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations, let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Locations, characters, ideas and themes present in this fan fic are used without permission from Mr. Anno or Gainax. 


	4. Necessary Precautions : Minutes Out

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations, let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Locations, characters, ideas and themes present in this fan fic are used without permission from Mr. Anno or Gainax.  
  
Last time in The Last Gift She Expected... Asuka and Shinji's newfound relationship blossoms over the space of a day, with shopping and swimming lessons developing a close bond between the two pilots. Meanwhile, Hikari, Toji and Rei rush to the mall to buy Asuka a birthday present. Also, Misato endeavours in the ultimate struggle: beating Rei at chess...  
  
And without further ado...  
  
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 4: Necessary Precautions//Minutes Out...  
  
"Hey Shinji, can you hear me?" Asuka heard Misato yell out. Asuka opened her eyes. She was in the Mt. Asaga hot springs. Misato was gazing over the divider, to where she knew Shinji would be.  
  
Shinji replied. "Uh, yes, ma'am!"  
  
"Could you throw over the body shampoo?" Misato asked. Asuka looked around at the empty bottle floating away from her. "We ran out of ours," Asuka added.  
  
Splashes could be heard from over the divider, consistent with someone walking in water. "Okay, I'm throwing it over." Shinji said.  
  
"Roger," Asuka called out. Asuka looked up over the wall, watching for the bottle. Huh? Where is it? She looked across to the left a little too late. The bottle hit Asuka.  
  
"Ouch! You dork! You hit me! Ooh, you idiot!" Asuka shouted, barely hearing Shinji apologise, "Oww, you hit me in my most private parts..."  
  
Asuka felt hands close around her lower waist. "Aw, let me take a look at it..."  
  
Asuka let out a cry of surprise as Misato's hands reached up. "Aah! Stop it, that tickles!"  
  
"Oh, your skin is so soft and smooth, Asuka!" Misato's hands travelled further south.  
  
"Ah, don't touch me there!" Asuka cried as Misato's hands went further down. "Ooh..."  
  
Misato's fingers found their way into Asuka's most private parts. Asuka felt a euphoric sensation wash through her...  
  
------------  
  
Asuka woke up with a gasp. Asuka was in her futon, in a darkened room. [What the hell brought that up?] Asuka sat up, and felt that her legs were damp. At first Asuka thought she had wet the bed. [Why now?] she thought, [I've never wet the...oh my God..]. Asuka realised what had happened. She then had enough sense to look at the clock. 16:58. One hour and two minutes until her sync test. Asuka rolled out of her puddle, and got out of bed. Opening the door slightly, she looked around for Shinji. He was sitting at the table, holding something in his hands. Asuka creaked open the door, taking one step out of the door. Shinji perked his ears, and Asuka froze with fear.  
  
Shinji fiddled around with the thing he held. "Damn flat batteries..." Shinji opened the back of his SDAT, pulling out the cells. From this angle, Asuka could tell that Shinji was wearing earphones. Asuka brazenly took another step. No reaction. Asuka tiptoed for the bathroom. A few seconds later, Shinji heard the shower turn on.  
  
"Asuka," Shinji called out, "Is that you?"  
  
Asuka jumped with shock inside the shower. "Uh, yeah, it's just me..."  
  
Shinji called out to Asuka again. "You know you've got another hour..."  
  
"Yeah, I know. I just want to eat before I go."  
  
"Alright, but don't eat too much..."  
  
Shinji went back to the table. Sitting down again, he pulled out a box from his pocket. Shinji was shot up with nerves. [I hope she likes it...]  
  
--------  
  
Asuka slid her security card through the reader, and the large blast doors in front of her opened up. She was about to walk through it when she heard a gasp behind her. Looking around for a split second, Asuka thought she saw a dress disappear behind a pillar. Asuka's attention was pulled back to Ritsuko. who was waiting for her after the first security door.  
  
"How are you feeling today, Asuka?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"Alright, I suppose. Um, after the test, I have to talk to you about something..." Asuka looked back to the pillar. Nothing there this time... [Must have been my imagination...]  
  
"Well, we can talk about it now, if you want...it's just that I have a lot of paperwork to do afterwards..."  
  
Asuka looked back and nodded. They walked into Ritsuko's private office. Ritsuko sat down.  
  
"Now, what's your problem?" Ritsuko looked at Asuka.  
  
"Well, it's kinda personal," Asuka began, "I don't know how to put it..."  
  
"You want to know about having a relationship?"  
  
Asuka looked at Ritsuko with shock. "How did you know?"  
  
"Women's intuition," Ritsuko smiled, "Who's the lucky guy?"  
  
"Is it really any of your business?"  
  
"Well, yes, seeing as you do save the world on a regular basis as a living."  
  
"Well, so does he..."  
  
Ritsuko choked and sputtered on her coffee. "Shinji!? You're going out with Shinji!?"  
  
Asuka blushed. "Well, he's caring, sensitive, very supportive of his friends..."  
  
[Oh, don't I know that? He bit my head off the other day..]."Well, I suppose I have no right to disapprove. It's your life. Anyway, now that you're of mature age, it's a part of your contract that while you are an Eva pilot, you have to have a contraceptive implant."  
  
"Ooh, that sounds painful..."  
  
"Oh no," Ritsuko said, "We just inject some muscle stimulant into your fallopian tubes to tighten them, cutting the ovulation process short."  
  
"Muscle stimulant?" Asuka had a wicked idea. "What if this stimulant were used, say, just short of the fallopian tubes...?"  
  
Ritsuko grinned, chuckling softly. "You like the idea? It seems nice at first, but however good it is, it's not good when it's constantly in effect for about a month."  
  
Asuka's eyes widened. "Really?!" she said, excitedly.  
  
"Listen, I tried it once, and it isn't pleasant. Trust me." Ritsuko's eyes sharpened.  
  
"Okay...but what if I don't put it in properly...?"  
  
"That's why you get either me or Maya to do it. We're trained in this kind of thing..."  
  
Asuka gave Ritsuko a doubtful look. Ritsuko laughed. "No, it's nothing like that. It's just an needle in the lower abdomen. I don't need to play around down there."  
  
Asuka was sufficiently reassured. No way she was going to have some middle aged wench toy with her most private parts...again...  
  
"So, when can I get this injection?"  
  
"I'll give it to you after your test."  
  
Asuka thanked Ritsuko. "It's good to know that I can talk to you about this kind of thing. Usually I would go to Misato, but I can't find her anywhere..."  
  
Ritsuko stood up. "Well, let's get you tested, huh?"  
  
Asuka nodded. "Okay."  
  
---------  
  
Hikari and Toji were walking towards NERV Central. It was a warmer than normal afternoon, the sun about halfway behind the horizon.  
  
"I can't wait to see what NERV looks like on the inside..." Toji said for the umpteenth time that day. "So, what did you get her?" Hikari asked.  
  
"I got her a mobile phone," Toji answered. "I figured she's be needing one for work, like Shinji's got. How about you?"  
  
"I got her a pair of heels," Hikari said, "Rei told me she liked those shoes."  
  
"Rei? Talking?" Toji was dumbfounded. "Well, I suppose she did laugh out loud like that in the mall just before..."  
  
"Yeah..." Hikari waited at an intersection, across the road from NERV Central. Toji and Hikari crossed the road, Hikari ahead of Toji as they rounded the corner. As soon as they walked past the first pillar, Hikari gasped. Asuka was there, swiping a card through a security door. Hikari quickly backed behind the pillar, pushing Toji back there with her. Hikari heard the door open, and footsteps go through it. Risking a peep, Hikari peered out from behind the pillar. Asuka was gone. Hikari breathed a sigh of relief as she walked back from around the pillar, and saw Kensuke run from the opposite direction.  
  
"Hey, Toji! Hikari!" Kensuke shouted, short of breath, "Wait up!"  
  
"Kensuke!" Toji greeted him. "How are you?"  
  
"Alright. I had to wait for Asuka's present to stop burning..."  
  
Toji and Hikari looked at each other, dumbfounded. "Uh, Kensuke?"  
  
"Yeah?" Kensuke turned to Hikari.  
  
"Never mind..."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kensuke asked. He walked over to the blast doors. Sliding his temporary pass through the security locks, he watched as the doors opened, the code 51825762 flashing on the display. He walked through, almost tiptoeing, seemingly with nerves. When he was on the inside, he stopped. "This is it," he said to himself, "I'm actually inside NERV!"  
  
Toji walked on through with Hikari. "Hey, Kensuke, don't stand there all night!"  
  
Kensuke snapped out of it. "Oh, of course."  
  
---------  
  
Ritsuko monitored the screens in front of her. She had checked and doublechecked that the sensors were attached. Asuka was sitting in the plug, putting on the synchronisation of her life. Ritsuko was astounded with the results of a lot of pressure. [86.9%. That's a new record...] Ritsuko sipped at the canned coffee, when Maya arrived.  
  
"Dr. Akagi, the first guests have arrived."  
  
"Good. Show them to the Bridge." Maya nodded. As she left, Shinji entered.  
  
"How's she doing?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Great. She broke your sync record."  
  
[Damn! That record had stood since the underwater Angel! Ah, well...]  
  
"Uh, Ritsuko..." Shinji didn't quite know how to ask Ritsuko this. "Has Asuka..."  
  
"Told me about you two? Yeah," Ritsuko said, "And it's okay to...you know...you don't need protection..."  
  
"Oh. Alright..." Shinji walked off. Ritsuko smiled. [Some things never change.]  
  
-------  
  
Shinji walked out of the room and headed to Misato's office. He found her sitting at her computer, deep in thought.  
  
"Hey Misato," Shinji greeted her. Misato either didn't notice him, or didn't care. She moved her mouse, dragging something with it on the computer. [There, that'll hold off the queen for a while...oh, no, that's what was holding off the bishop!]  
  
"Damn! Please don't see it...!"  
  
Meanwhile, in the NERV female changerooms, Rei smiled in the glow of her laptop monitor. [It seems that Katsuragi has fallen for it again...]  
  
Sure enough, after a few seconds, the words 'CHECKMATE PLAYER 2' flashed in Misato's face again.  
  
"Bah! That's it!" Misato withdrew gun from holster, levelling it at the monitor. She screamed as she fired three shots at the the screen, turned to the computer itself and emptied the rest of the clip. She then threw her gun at the computer, and kicked the monitor from the table, sending it crashing onto another destroyed monitor. She leapt over the table and had begun kicking the broken computer parts, when she finally noticed Shinji at the door, bemused at the sight in front of him. Back in the changerooms, Rei began to think something was wrong with her laptop when it failed to establish a reconnection with host server.  
  
"Oh! Shinji...what are you doing here?"  
  
Shinji stifled a laugh. "I came to see what you were doing while I was waiting for Asuka to finish her sync test."  
  
"Uh, well..." Misato tried to explain the smouldering pile of metal and silicon that once was her computer. "I was just surfing the internet, and the whole computer crashed..."  
  
Shinji laughed. "Are you sure that it wasn't you that crashed the computer?" His attention was drawn to a colourful board in the corner of the room. "Hey, what's that?"  
  
It was a montage board, displaying various memorable moments in Asuka's few years in Tokyo 3 immortalised in photographs. A particular photo in the bottom-left corner got his attention, a certain photo taken after Angel number 6...  
  
"Misato! I don't want this picture on the board!" Shinji pointed at himself in the picture, hiding his faux mammaries.  
  
"Oh, come on, quit whining!" Misato reholstered her weapon. "Actually, there is something you can do for me..."  
  
"Okay, then."  
  
"Three floors down, go left from the elevator, and the first door to your right. It's the Supplies room."  
  
Shinji was confused. "What do I do there?"  
  
Misato blushed. "Tell them I need a new computer..."  
  
----------  
  
Asuka walked into the changerooms, a NERV standard issue towel getting wet and sticky with LCL. While she was drying herself off, she saw Rei leave, clutching a laptop, and another box behind it. Asuka had to take another look, because she swore she'd seen Rei blushing. [What the hell?] Asuka shrugged, and went to her sports bag. Pulling out her favourite skirt, she slid it on over the top of her towel, then letting her towel drop to the floor. A few questions were raised in Asuka's head, such as why Ritsuko would leave her post yesterday, and why Rei was even here tonight. [Gendo probably wants a dinner date or something...] Asuka smiled at her little quip. Asuka was about to leave when she literally walked straight into Ritsuko. It was hard to tell who was the more surprised.  
  
"Asuka! Thought I'd meet you here."  
  
"Hey, Ritsuko," Asuka greeted the scientist, "I was just going to look for you."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I brought that shot for you." Ritsuko held up the syringe.  
  
Asuka cringed. "Ah...just give a second, okay?"  
  
"No problem, I can wait."  
  
Asuka went back into the changerooms briefly. [If I knew she'd be injecting that stuff into her straight away, she would have put on panties.] Ritsuko waited by the door as Asuka quickly put on a pair of underwear. A few seconds later, Asuka reemerged from the changerooms.  
  
"Alright, let's get this over with," Asuka said, "I still have to talk to the Commander."  
  
Ritsuko smirked. "Okay, come with me."  
  
Asuka followed Ritsuko into the Infirmary. "Lie down on the bed," Ritsuko told Asuka.  
  
Asuka nodded, and walked to the bed. She felt her stomach sink as she remembered the pain involved with her last injection, back in Germany in 2004. "Is it...gonna hurt?"  
  
Ritsuko smiled. "Barely. Needles are made of optic fibre now, instead of metal. It's narrow enough to not disturb the nerve endings. You'll barely feel it."  
  
Asuka felt slightly relieved. Ritsuko brandished the needle, and Asuka was even more relieved. It was so small!  
  
"Okay, lift up your...oh, dress..." Ritsuko gave a slight, twisted smile.  
  
"WHAT!? LIFT UP MY WHAT!?" Asuka sat up. "PERVERSE IDIOTI!"  
  
"Asuka! I told you before, the injection needs to be made in the abdomen. You have to lift you dress so I can make the injection."  
  
Asuka calmed down, lay back down, and lifted her skirt. Ritsuko tested the needle, squirting a little of the clear liquid out, making sure it didn't splash onto her or Asuka's exposed flesh. Ritsuko cleaned the injection site.  
  
"Wow, you skin is so soft and smooth, Asuka..."  
  
Asuka's eyes widened with deja-vu. She jerked back, leaning against the bedhead, frightened by the compliment. [Aah! That's what Misato said back at Mt. Asama! Ritsuko wouldn't...would she?]  
  
"What's wrong?" Ritsuko asked gently, "Are you okay?"  
  
Asuka relaxed. "Yeah, I'm okay." She slid back down the bed, once again exposing the shot site. Ritsuko then preceded to hold down the injection site and readied the needle. [What scared her so much about that? Had someone tried to...take advantage of her before?] Ritsuko inserted the needle, drawing little or no blood.  
  
"Mmm, you're right," Asuka said, "It doesn't hurt at all..."  
  
"See?" She plunged the end of the needle, squeezing the fluid into her abdomen. Withdrawing the needle, Ritsuko looked at Asuka's panties. [Aw, why not?] While lifting her hand off of the injection site, the doctor's fingers tickled over Asuka's crotch.  
  
"Aah!" Asuka sat up in surprise.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry," Ritsuko looked at Asuka, withdrawing her hand quickly, with an expression of apology. She turned around, and gave a grin. [So sensitive...]  
  
Asuka looked at Ritsuko. She didn't trust Ritsuko that that was entirely accidental. [Wait...Ritsuko isn't...]  
  
"There. All done." Ritsuko turned to Asuka. "You can go now."  
  
Asuka sat up, her skirt falling back to where it should be. "Thank you, Dr. Akagi," Asuka said, backing out of the room. Asuka had barely cleared the door when she turned and ran from the infirmary. Ritsuko looked out the door, following Asuka's thighs with her eyes...  
  
--------  
  
Shinji walked into Misato's office, a computer and monitor piled in his arms. "Misato!"  
  
Misato looked up. "Oh, Shinji!" Misato walked over to Shinji, and relieved him of the monitor. They set their respective loads down onto her desk.  
  
"Thanks, Shinji," Misato said, dusting her hands, "You're pretty useful."  
  
Shinji laughed. "It was nothing, Misato."  
  
Misato put on her game face. "Alright, Shinji, listen up. Asuka should be out of her sync test by now. You have to make sure she doesn't reach Gendo's office, because he won't be there. He'll be at the Bridge, and so will be the party. You know where that is, don't you?"  
  
"Uh, not qui-"  
  
"Good. Intercept the target and lure it towards the Bridge to launch the surprise attack. Any questions?"  
  
"Just one. Where's the Bri-"  
  
"The Bridge is on floor Basement 09. Take the elevator, first left, thrid right, third door to the left."  
  
"Got it."  
  
"Alright, off you go. Shoo!" Misato kicked Shinji out of the room. Shinji watched the door close behind him. He took a few steps away from the door, and then stopped to look at the photo that he had pulled off the board. Sure enough, it was the one of him and Asuka after their defeat of the sixth Angel in the Pacific. Shinji went up to the window of Misato's office and knocked on it. Misato turned to see where the knock came from. Shinji pressed the photo against the glass.  
  
"Huh!?" Misato glanced at the montage board, and saw that a photo was missing. "Hey!"  
  
Shinji grabbed hold of the photo again, and tore it into tiny, irrecognisable pieces. Misato was fuming. Shinji walked off, happy with himself.  
  
Misato immediately cheered up, and went to her desk. She had backed up all of the pictures taken to a disk, and had easy access to a printer. [Poor Shinji thought he'd stopped me...]  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
Will Asuka tell Shinji about what happened? If so, how will he take it? Should Ritsuko fill out a will? Can NERV afford all of these new computers for Misato!? All this and more, in the next The Last Gift She Expected!  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations, let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Locations, characters, ideas and themes present in this fan fic are used without permission from Mr. Anno or Gainax. 


	5. Another Present : Seconds Out

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Last time, on The Last Thing She Expected... Asuka passed her retest easily, and went to see the Commander. Of course, the Commander wouldn't be there, and it's a race against time for Shinji who has to intercept her before she manages to find his father's office! Also, Ritsuko gives Asuka an contraceptive injection, but not before she felt Asuka up! Feeling violated, will Asuka tell Shinji?  
  
And without further ado...  
  
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 5: Another Present : Seconds Out...  
  
------------  
  
Asuka walked around the long, similar-looking corridors of NERV Headquarters. [Verdamnt! Where is Gendo's office?] Rounding a corner, she spotted Shinji at the end of the identical corridor.  
  
"Hey, Shinji!" Asuka called out to him. Shinji turned around, and waved. Walking toward each other, the first thing Shinji asked was "How'd you go?"  
  
Asuka grinned from ear to ear. "Ha! I beat your record!"  
  
Shinji already knew this, but played along. "What!? Aw, geez!"  
  
Shinji's arm fell around Asuka's back, as did Asuka's around Shinji's. Asuka turned to Shinji. "Uh, do you know where your dad's office is?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, he called you for a metting, didn't he? Anou, I'm not really sure, but I think it was on floor B-09." Of course it wasn't, but the Bridge was there, as was the surprise party.  
  
"Well, I suppose we should head for an elevator, then." Asuka and Shinji walked forward, hunting down an elevator.  
  
As they walked, the lovers get to talking. "Uh, Shinji, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"Before I came here," Asuka began, "how well did you get along with Ritsuko?"  
  
"Um..." This question's a bit out of the blue... "I...didn't...really know her...that well..."  
  
"Oh." Asuka fell quiet for a little while. "It's just that...I think that...she might be...I mean..."  
  
Shinji looked across at Asuka. "What?"  
  
"I think...she might...bat for the wrong team...you know?"  
  
Bat for the wrong team? What does she - oh... Memories from that early morning phone call flooded back into Shinji's mind.  
  
"Come to think of it..." Shinji reminisced, "The other day, I called her house early on in the morning, and Maya picked up..."  
  
"Maya picked up?" Asuka perked her ears. "You mean...?"  
  
"Yeah, I think they were..." Shinji felt himself blush a little, "...I mean, over the line I heard all of the grunting and moaning and..."  
  
"Oh, God, Shinji," Asuka groaned, "don't go into all of the details. I don't want to be sick in front of the Commander."  
  
Shinji stifled a laugh. [Asuka isn't as invinvible as she lets on...] "The reason I asked..." Asuka thought about whether or not telling Shinji was the right thing to do.  
  
[I mean he almost bit her head off two days ago, and that was just for hurting my feelings. I don't want to know what he'd do if he knew Ritsuko tried to feel me up...]  
  
Shinji noticed the irregular pause in speech. "Something wrong, Asuka?"  
  
"Oh no, no...hey, look, there's the elevator..."  
  
Sure enough, the elevator was right in front of them. Shinji pressed the "Down" button, and they waited.  
  
"It's just because...ah...because..."  
  
"Asuka, just tell me. What happened?"  
  
Shit! I've gotta tell him now! "Well, Ritsuko...I went to get a shot from her after my test..."  
  
"A shot? What for?"  
  
"For, uh..." Asuka wasn't sure of how to put it. "For...female matters..."  
  
Shinji instantly regretted asking. Asuka continued.  
  
"Well, anyway, she...oh, it was something about the way she looked at me...it was like some of those baka-hentai perverts at school..."  
  
"...what?" Shinji felt rage build inside him...  
  
"And...when she was done," Asuka continued, "She...touched me..."  
  
Shinji was screaming inside. "How...dare she..."  
  
"No, don't get upset..."  
  
Shinji stared incredulous at Asuka. "Don't get upset? You should be angrier than anyone right now! First she bullies you around with the sync tests, now she's feeling you up!? You didn't used to put up with this kind of crap! Hell, it used to be that if I caught a glimpse, let alone a feel, I'd get bashed to kingdom-come!"  
  
"Yes, but..."  
  
"The Asuka I know...the Asuka I fell in love with...would never put up with this kind of bullshit."  
  
Asuka fell silent. [He's right...]  
  
"If you just put up with this, then it'll just get worse. People will start to walk all over you. Believe me, I know..."  
  
Ding. The elevator door opened. They both looked up, and walked in. Shinji reached over to the elevator control panel, and pressed B-09.  
  
"Wow..." Shinji looked across at Asuka. "You really have changed, Shinji. When I first got here you were a weak willed, whining idiot. And now..."  
  
Shinji was speechless. "You've changed too..."  
  
"I know..." Asuka knew that she had become more compassionate since the last angel attack. It was almost as if they'd unknowingly combined their identities...  
  
The floor counter ticked over. B-04, B-05, B-06...  
  
"Shinji?"  
  
Shinji looked across at Asuka. Her demeanor had changed a lot over the last few days. The once confident Second Child looked nervous, her eyes glancing through the bottom of the elevator door and off into space. The door opened, but this didn't seem to affect Asuka's gaze.  
  
"Thank you," Asuka said softly, "for helping me."  
  
Shinji hugged Asuka a bit harder. "Don't worry," he assured, "You'll be fine."  
  
-----------------  
  
Shigeru was crouching over the security console, watching the blue dot that symbolised Shinji's tracing node. He knew that Shinji would be with Asuka. Meanwhile, other NERV staff were adding finishing touches to the NERV Central command post. The layers had already been raised and lowered to level out all of the different floors. Now, all three Magi were on the same layer, as well as the main exits, the commander's position above all other floors now towering even further above everything else. Many trays of food were atop Melchior and Caspar, while Balthasar was completely empty.  
  
"Why are we loading up the two outer ones with food, and leaving the middle one with nothing on it?" Hikari asked Ritsuko.  
  
"Almost every platform in this room can be shifted up and down," Ritsuko replied, "The plan is to have the platform with Balthasar..."  
  
"The platform with who?"  
  
Ritsuko sighed. "The middle one with the red box on it."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"We're gonna have that one drop down slightly below the other two, hopefully attracting Asuka to stand there. When it's surprise time, we raise the platform back up to this height, then turn on the lights."  
  
"Ah, sounds good."  
  
Elsewhere, Misato was glaring at Kaji, chatting across the room with a couple of Asuka's schoolfriends. [WHAT is that moron doing here?! Grrr, I'm gonna kill Shinji for inviting him!] Kaji looked across the crowd, and shot Misato a smile. [Yep, Shinji's definitely gonna die...]  
  
Meanwhile, Kensuke was looking about the room with a worried look on his face. He walked over to Toji, who was chatting with the girls and Kaji. "Hey, Toji," Kensuke whispered.  
  
Toji turned around. "Yeah, what?"  
  
"Where the hell's Shinji?"  
  
"I dunno...maybe he's still out getting a present..."  
  
Meanwhile, all of the NERV members had gathered by the security console, so that Aoba could still monitor the...well...monitor.  
  
"So, do you really think this was such a good idea?" Maya spoke first.  
  
"It hasn't been that bad," Hyuga said, "Sure there have been a few questions about NERV, but that's to be expected..."  
  
"Ritsuko turned to Hyuga. "By the way, how did that Visual Music program work out?"  
  
"Complete. Runned a check through the Magi, all systems green."  
  
"Good. Now all we're waiting for is Asuka and Shinji."  
  
"Asuka and Shinji?" Aoba said, while watching out for Asuka, "Are you kidding?"  
  
Misato jumped to Ritsuko's defence. "She's telling the truth..."  
  
The small group hushed. They knew exactly how much Shinji and Asuka's personalities clashed. They found it hard to believe it was possible.  
  
"No way!" Maya dismissed her sempai's claims.  
  
"Care to wager on it?" Rei asked, sneaking up seemingly out of nowhere. The group looked at Rei as if she had seven eyes. "What?" she asked innocently, giving a smile.  
  
"Uh, yeah, how about it?" Misat back up Rei's proposition.  
  
Slowly, each of the group members nodded their heads.  
  
"Then it's settled," Maya smiled, "If Shinji and Asuka pash by the end of the night, Misato, Sempai and Rei each get 100..."  
  
Misato interrupted by saying "200."  
  
"Okay, 200 yen from me, Makoto and Shigeru. If they don't then you owe us the same. Deal?"  
  
"Deal!" Then, defying many laws of physics, a six-way handshake ensued  
  
"Hey! Put me down for some of that too! 200 yen says Shinji'll have the balls!" Kaji piped in.  
  
Hyuga grinned. "You're on!"  
  
Aoba resumed his vigil over the screen. The dot had moved a fair way...  
  
"Shit!" he said rather loudly, "Asuka's on this floor! She's headed this way!"  
  
Ritsuko turned to the crowd of people. "Okay, everybody into the corridor on the right hand side! Aoba, cut the lights. Hyuga, run your ocean program over the holo-maps. Maya, lower the platform. Everyone else, outside!"  
  
All of the other guests ran for the corridor, except for Misato, Kaji and Rei. The others carried out their orders, and then fumbled blindly for the corridor door. Finally, Rei found the door, and held it open.  
  
"This way, quickly!" she said, and the rest of the adults hid in what turned out to be a broom closet.  
  
"Hey! This isn't the corridor!" Kaji stated the obvious as Rei shut the door on the NERV employees. Rei smiled evilly, and walked to the emergency ladder, leading up to the command suite, where her surrogate father overlooked all of NERV's operations. Taking one last look at the amazing digital display in place of the regular holographic maps and radar, she ducked down underneath the desk.  
  
A gasp of surprise shocked Rei, as she looked around. "A-Aida?" Rei stammered.  
  
Kensuke stared back at Rei. "Rei? What are you doing...oh my god! I scared you! You...Rei Ayanami...showed emotion!"  
  
Rei blushed. "Why? Aren't I allowed to?"  
  
The sound of a door opening echoed through the giant room. [Shit! She's here!]  
  
Kensuke shot back over the desk, aiming a camera at the door. The brightness from the corridor outside made it hard for Kensuke or his camcorder to focus on who exactly it was, but the red hair gave it away. [It's Asuka alright!]  
  
Kensuke flicked a switch, operating the highly sensitive camcorder microphone. Meanwhile, from beneath the desk, Rei spoke.  
  
"Aida, I fell that there is something you need to know about Pilot Sohryu..."  
  
Kensuke didn't seem really interested. "Look, can it wait, Rei?"  
  
"...No."  
  
Kensuke ignored the blue-haired wonder, adjusting the distance estimator to "Auto". Now Kensuke could hear and record everything Asuka said.  
  
"....ight be the right room..." Asuka muttered. [That's strange,] Kensuke thought, [I never knew Asuka to talk to herself...]  
  
Rei continued. "Pilot Sohryu has established a relationship with..."  
  
Kensuke heard Asuka say, "...don't you think, Shinji?"  
  
"Shinji!?" Kensuke gasped.  
  
"...Pilot Ikari..." Rei finished.  
  
Kensuke watched the monitor in horror as Shinji walked in beside Asuka. [Shinji! How could you!? Don't you realise what you're doing?]  
  
------------  
  
At this point, Asuka noticed the strange blue light in the center of the room.  
  
"Oh wow!" Asuka rushed forward and was mesmerised by the incredible display set up by Hyuga. The blue and green ripples generator by the holosuites in the room, usually used for maps and radar displays, gave the effect that the room was being flooded.  
  
Shinji looked ahead in amazement. [Geez, Hyuga did a bang up job with this display...] Asuka looked back at Shinji, who walked forward, embracing her. They walked down the catwalk as one, reaching a command post-type area, with a small dip in the center oof that area. There were three strange looking red platforms behind the area, two of which were covered in dark red cloth. The center one was inscripted with a name, but in this light it was illegible.  
  
Shinji felt inside his pocket. The small velvet box was still there. [Should I give this to her now? Or should I wait for all the other presents?]  
  
Asuka nuzzled against his chest, purring in contentment. [Yep, now's the time...]  
  
"Uh, Asuka?"  
  
"Yes, Shinji?"  
  
"I know I already got you your present for your birthday..."  
  
"I know, thanks, Shinji..."  
  
"No. There's something else..."  
  
Shinji lifted the box out of his pocket. Asuka looked at it, realising that it contained jewelry. Asuka opened it in Shinji's hands. A magnificent gold heart, encasing a ruby, suspended on an intricate gold chain shone back in Asuka's face.  
  
"Oh my God..." Asuka almost wept, "It's beautiful..." Tears sprung from her eyes. Looking back at Shinji, she said, "Thank you so much, Shinji!"  
  
Shinji took hold of it, and Asuka turned around. Shinji fastened the necklace around her neck. She toyed with it around her neck, looking at it sparkle in the light of the holograph show.  
  
-----------  
  
[Shinji!? With Asuka?! No way!] Toji couldn't believe what he was seeing.  
  
He had opened the door leading to the Bridge just enough to squeeze his head around the corner. Hikari and the other girls were relying on Toji to make reports of what was happening.  
  
"What's going on, Toji?"  
  
"Shin...ji...he's with..."  
  
-----------  
  
Kensuke zoomed in on the pair standing in front of the middle Magi, Balthasar. He watched as Shinji produced a small velvet box from him pocket, containing a necklace.  
  
Kensuke couldn't believe it. "No...anyone but...HER!"  
  
Rei looked on as Kensuke's legs began to give in on him, due to the shock of Asuka actually respecting one of the reknowned Three Stooges, let alone fall in love with one.  
  
"Whoa! I've gotta sit down. Rei, can you take over?"  
  
Rei debated in her mind whether or not to help Kensuke. [If I help him, it would be considered spying, but if I do it would make me seem more human.] Rei shifted over to him, and slid her hand into the padded strap, Kensuke took his hand out, and Rei was now in control of the camera. Kensuke staggered to a large padded chair, and sat down. When he sat down in it, he noticed that it was almost like a throne.  
  
[Hm. Best seat in the house,] Kensuke thought to himself. In te same thought, he muttered, "I wonder who sits here?"  
  
"I do." If a fifteen year old boy in such good health was capable of having a heart attack, then Kensuke would've had one when the cold, penetrating voice of Gendo Ikari reached his ears. Gendo smirked as he lifted the prone body of Kensuke Aida and let him flop to the ground.  
  
Reclaiming his seat, he turned his head to Rei. "Hello, Rei," he said quietly.  
  
"Hey, Commander," Rei said back, while listening in on Asuka blubbering over the necklace.-----------  
  
Maya's eye was glued to the keyhole in the janitorial closet door.  
  
"Asuka's putting on her necklace," Maya reported, "It looks like she likes it..."  
  
"See? I told you they were together!" Misato said.  
  
Aoba grumbled. "The bet still stands, though. They have to kiss before you get your money."  
  
"Oh, I don't think we'll have to wait long for that," Ritsuko smiled. [The love is there, that's for sure..."  
  
"Wait, something else's happening..."  
  
------------  
  
Shinji's arms were around Asuka's waist, the lovers looking out over the fake digital ocean. They looked at each other, a familiar feeling of butterflies building in their bodies.  
  
"Thank you," Asuka muttered. They leaned closer...  
  
------------  
  
Eight schoolgirls gathered around the same crack in the door, leaning over a near-comatose Toji.  
  
"Oh my God, they're gonna kiss!" Hikari half-whispered, half-squealed.  
  
------------  
  
Kensuke was back on his feet, or to be more accurate, his knees, leaning over Rei Ayanami's shoulder to look at the scene below with his camcorder.  
  
"No, Shinji, don't do it..." Kensuke begged with Shinji from afar.  
  
[Do it, Shinji,] Rei willed the Third Child on, [I've got 200 yen riding on you!]  
  
Gendo's hand hovered over a button on the control panel in front of him.  
  
[Come on, son,] Gendo thought, [You're a man now...no...you're an Ikari man now...]  
  
-----------  
  
Maya almost squealed. "They're gonna kiss!"  
  
Shigeru and Makoto already had their wallets out, flicking through them to find 200 yen, as was Kaji, all three grumbling at their misfortune. Ritsuko took the liberty of retrieving Maya's purse and taking 200 from it.  
  
[Good boy, Shinji,] Misato smiled, [Not everyday you pick up 200 yen...]  
  
-----------  
  
Asuka's and Shinji's lips met. If they weren't as deeply engrossed with each other, they would've heard various cries from the janitor's closet, some of victory, others of disappointment; a somewhat loud "Awww" emanating from the door to the corridor to the right of the couple, sounding as if at least half a dozen girls were harmonising; and the dull thud of an adolescent boy fainting again. Of course, neither Asuka nor Shinji could hear this, simply enjoying the moment.  
  
-----------  
  
Somewhere, deep in Gendo Ikari's cast-iron stone cold heart, a faint glow of pride in his son emanated warmth throughout his body. He smiled, not his regular malicious grin, but instead an honest, glad smile. It then twisted into the trademark Ikari Evil Smirk (c) as he pressed the button in front of him...  
  
Back down at the fake ocean, Shinji and Asuka were still embracing, enjoying a loving liplock, when the blue light from the digital display that Asuka had grown accustomed to blinked out suddenly. Asuka noticed this, even with eyes closed. Asuka's eyes opened and widened.  
  
"Mmph! Aagh!" Asuka broke her kiss with Shinji and shouted, clinging to Shinji harder.  
  
"Hey! What's...huh?" Shinji had only just noticed the light, or lack thereof.  
  
"What happened, Shinji?" Asuka panicked, "Who cut the lights!?"  
  
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Asuka," Shinji comforted her. Inside, he smirked. [It's time...]  
  
The floor beneath the pair shifted up about two feet. In the darkness, Asuka could hear the scampering of feet, and a few *chak chak* sounds. [Shit! Guns!] A spotlight shone down on the pair, blinding them. Asuka clung to Shinji harder, burying her head into Shinji's warm chest. Shinji looked ahead in fear, as the muzzles of two assault rifles aimed at his head. Sweat started to drip down his face. A voice broke the silence.  
  
"Are you Shinji Ikari?" the gruff voice said. Shinji dumbly nodded.  
  
Another voice spoke. "And that makes you Asuka Sohryu?"  
  
[That's Asuka LANGLEY Sohryu!] "Uh...hu-uh..." Asuka let go of Shinji. She looked around. Shinji was standing there, arms in the air, a quiet but somewhat confident look on his face, despite the guns aimed at him.  
  
"I'm afraid you're coming with us, Ms. Sohryu," the first man said. "If you'd come along quietly..."  
  
It's amazing how much good fighting evil alien monsters can do for the body, especially the reflexes. Asuka watched in amazement as Shinji's arm came down on one of the rifles in front of him, apparently flicking the butt into one of the soldier's faces. Taking the rifle, he slammed the butt into another one, before copping a rabbit chop to the neck. He fell to the ground in a daze, his naive bravado over.  
  
"Shinji-kun!" Asuka shouted before being grabbed by each of her arms, dragged forward...  
  
Suddenly, the lights blinked on. Asuka looked across at her captors. She was being held in an armlock by...Aoba and Kaji... In front of her, Misato, Ritsuko and Maya were standing there, smiliing broadly. Unbeknownst to Asuka, Shinji was standing, and advancing towards Asuka.  
  
"SUR-PRIIIIIIIIISE!" the whole crowd shouted. Asuka looked around in shock as streamers, balloons, and confetti were falling out of the sky. Asuka gasped in surprise as Shinji wrapped his arms around her again.  
  
"Happy birthday, Asuka," Shinji said in Asuka's ear, "We do make so much of a big deal of them in Japan!"  
  
Asuka looked around as Maya walked toward her with a birthday cake. "Oh my God!" Asuka cried.  
  
Everyone cheered, as Gendo followed Kensuke down from their hiding spot, Rei opting for the more dramatic approach by vaulting over the edge and landing perfectly on top of Balthasar.  
  
"Whose idea was this!?" Asuka asked no one in particular.  
  
"It was I." Rei smiled broadly. Asuka looked at Rei strangely.  
  
"What? Aren't I allowed to throw a party!?" Asuka look at Rei with even more suspicion.  
  
"Okay, who killed Rei and replaced her with a human!?" This comment of Asuka's got a raucous laugh from everyone in the room, even the Second Child herself.  
  
[He he he ha ha ha...wait a minute...did she call me not human?]  
  
-------------  
  
Finally the party is underway! But can Shinji try to negotiate his relationship with his friends? Or will Toji and Kensuke tear him apart? Can Rei keep up the whole human thing all night? Will Kaji get back together with Misato, despite having only one line to say so far in the story!? Whew, so many questions, so much story to get through...Don't miss the next The Last Gift She Expected!  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Author's Note: I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has reviewed by fic so far. I put a lot of effort into this, and to see so much positive support from other budding writers like myself is incredible. This definitely won't be my last fic, that's for sure. As for the minor plot inequities, they'll all be explained later on, just be patient. I would also like to thank ChiRho, Raiden-X and ravenman9898, whose fics inspired me to put this one up. Now, seeing as it is verging on midnight, I better go now. Sayonara! 


	6. Karaoke, NERV Style : Unwanted Memories

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Last time on The Last Gift She Expected... Asuka finds Shinji (or is it the other way around?) and tells him of Ritsuko's roving fingers. Meanwhile, the party guest have arrived, the food is set up, the music is all hooked up and ready to go, but where's the birthday girl? Right around the corner! SURPRISE!  
  
And without further ado...  
  
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 6: Karaoke, NERV Style : Unwanted Memories  
  
------------  
  
A few minutes later, the party was in full swing. Kaji was back to chatting with Asuka's friends, and Ritsuko was enjoying a drink with Maya. Misato was kicking back, collecting money from Aoba and Hyuga to divvy up between her, Ritsuko and Rei later.  
  
Shinji sat back, sipping at an Illusion, waiting for Asuka to change into something "a little more appropriate for a party". [Well, that went well, all things considering...I wasn't expecting a lead-up like that, though...]  
  
"There he is! Hey, Shinji!"  
  
Shinji turned around and saw Toji and Kensuke. Shinji almost smiled until he saw the looks of dissapointment and anger on their faces.  
  
"Hey, what's the matter, guys? It's a party!..." Shinji knew he was about to be told off. He took a large gulp of Illusion...  
  
"What's your deal, huh?"  
  
"You're sleeping with the devil!"  
  
Shinji went a bright shade of red. "Sleeping!? No! We're just going out..."  
  
"Oh really? Misato just gave us this!" Toji held a polaroid to Shinji's face.  
  
Shinji looked at it closer. He almost choked on the Midori cocktail. The picture showed Shinji and Asuka, clear as day, snuggling with each other in Asuka's futon. Shinji's face went a much deeper shade of red.  
  
"...oh shit." [Misato will die for this...]  
  
Toji held Shinji up against the wall, while Kensuke just stood there in a menacing pose, their faces ripped with anger. Shinji looked at the pair of his friends, beginning to fear for his safety. Slowly, Toji's face split into a smile, as did Kensuke's.  
  
"SCOOOOOOOORE!" they both shouted, with the clear intention of embarrassing Shinji as much as possible.  
  
Shinji breathed out a sigh of relief with a smile. [Thank God they didn't find out about Asuka's panties...]  
  
Elsewhere in the room, Ritsuko was talking to Maya.  
  
"So, are you going to have a shot at the karaoke later?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"Yeah, maybe later...ooh, excuse me for a minute." Maya walked off.  
  
Ritsuko watched her special friend walk off toward the toilet block, and sipped her Long Island Tea. Only then did she notice that Shinji was walking toward her, with Toji and Kensuke watching him walk off, Shinji's face deadpan, with kind of the same look that the Commander had when he was pissed off.  
  
[Why's he so pissed off? Oh shit...] Ritsuko remembered her idle hands while injecting Asuka. Ritsuko went to move, but Shinji picked up the pace, raising his forearm and pinning Ritsuko to the wall by the neck rather roughly.  
  
"Good evening, Dr. Akagi," Shinji said innocently.  
  
"Listen, I - "  
  
"Shut up, Ritsuko. Now, Asuka told me what you did to her," Shinji's voice began to take on the same coldness as his father's. "If you do it again..."  
  
He jolted his arm, pressing Ritsuko's neck harder against the wall behind her. "I won't be so lenient," Shinji's gaze pierced Ritsuko's very soul.  
  
Almost instantly, Shinji reverted back to normal. "Have a fun night!" he said cheerfully as he walked off. Ritsuko watched Shinji off, warily.  
  
At that time, Hikari walked up to Toji. "Hey Toji," she said.  
  
"Huh? Oh, hey, Hikari. I didn't see you there..."  
  
"Hmm." They shot each other a devilish look. Hikari instantly doubled over, clutching her stomach.  
  
"Oh. My stomach. I need medical attention quickly." Hikari said with all the conviction of a two-by-four.  
  
"Yes. I think so too. I'll help you there." Toji and Hikari winked at each other. The pair walked off, holding each other, leaving Kensuke in disgust.  
  
"Love...who needs it?" Kensuke felt someone's eyes on him, and he turned around. Across the room, Rei jolted her head to the side, pretending to look at something else.  
  
[Was she checking me out? No...]  
  
At that time, Asuka entered the room, dressed in an eyecatching red and black satin dress, and attached herself to Shinji.  
  
"Hey handsome," Asuka said, "Fancy meeting you here."  
  
Shinji laughed. "Yeah, fancy that."  
  
Asuka walked Shinji over to Caspar, where the drinks were. On the way there, Shinji saw the montage board, and noticed that his picture was replaced. Shinji scowled, and made a mental note to get rid of it.  
  
Misato was watching Shinji eye off the montage board. [Hmm, so he noticed. No problem...]  
  
Misato felt a hand reach around her shoulder. "Get you arm off me right now, Ryoji Kaji, before I shoot you."  
  
"Oh, just as feisty as ever, eh Misato?"  
  
Misato shrugged off Kaji's arm. "Look, don't you ever give up?"  
  
Kaji grinned. "No, especially if you're gonna be shitfaced later on in the evening." [Just give her time, Kaji, then she'll come back. Heh, what a pun, 'come'...]  
  
Kaji turned around. Misato readied a right hook for Kaji's cheek. Just as she swung, Kaji ducked to the ground, Misato's wild swing going over his head.  
  
"Oh look, a yen..." Kaji said so that Misato could hear, "You know, I just know you too well to fall for that now..."  
  
Misato growled and stormed off. Kaji stood back up, shrugged and walked off to the schoolgirls again, only to notice Rei was with them now.  
  
Shinji, on the other hand, kept a lookout for Misato as he snuck toward the montage board. Carefully removing the incriminating photo, he walked away, as if nothing were done. Looking back at Misato, who looked like she was going to hit someone across the head, he crumpled the photo up and threw it over the edge into the seemingly bottomless pit below the catwalk. Shinji started whistling, happy with his work.  
  
It was at about this time that Maya returned and was eager to test out the karaoke machine.  
  
"Hey! How about we crank this machine up, huh?" she shouted, possibly in a drunken state.  
  
Cheers of approval greeted the suggestion, and Maya fiddled with a few of the buttons on the system console. The guests formed a circle around Maya as she picked up the mike. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her to sing.  
  
"What? I wasn't going to sing!"  
  
Shouts and heckles came from the crowd, along with a couple of laughs. Maya smiled, and offered the mike to some others in the crowd. Finally, a hand reached up. By now, everyone was used to Rei acting normally, so there weren't so many collective gasps.  
  
"Well, first up tonight, Rei Ayanami!" Maya handed Rei the mike and applauded, stepping back into the crowd. Rei said something to Hyuga, sitting by the console, who nodded and brought up the song that Rei had requested. The strange thing is that no one knew what to expect from Rei's taste in music, so everyone waited in anticipation. Soon the music started, but the song wasn't familiar...  
  
Rei lifted the mike to her mouth, as the singing part started.  
  
"There's something inside me that pools beneath the surface,  
  
Confusing...consuming...  
  
The loss of self control I fear is never ending,  
  
Controlling...I can't seem  
  
To find myself again, my walls are closing in..."  
  
At this time, Kensuke recognised the song. "Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take..."  
  
Rei looked at Kensuke, and smiled. [It appears I'm not the only Linkin Park fan here...]  
  
"I've never felt this way before, SO IN-SE-CUUUURE...."  
  
The two performers sang in unison:  
  
"Crawling in my skin,  
  
These wounds, they will not heal...  
  
Fear is how I fall,  
  
Confusing what is rea-ah-allll..."  
  
The crowd around the duet began to clap, then the second verse began.  
  
"La da da da has pulled itself upon me..." Rei blushed at the only line of the song she didn't know.  
  
"Distracting, reacting...  
  
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection,  
  
It's haunting, how I can't seem,  
  
To find myself again, my walls are closing in..."  
  
Kensuke joined in with the brief rap: "Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take..."  
  
"I've felt this way before...SO IN-SE-CUUUURE..."  
  
"Crawling in my skin,  
  
These wounds, they will not heal...  
  
Fear is how I fall,  
  
Confusing what is rea-ah-allll...", once again in unison.  
  
The crowd listened in amazement as these two people who had never really talked to each other before in their lives were singing in perfect harmony. When the end of the song came, the whole Bridge erupted with applause. Rei and Kensuke bowed in appreciation, as they handed the mike back to Maya, who had one word to say... "Wow..."  
  
At this moment, Toji and Hikari came back into the room unnoticed, looking a little less tidy than when they left. Kensuke took one look at Toji. [Score one for Mr. Suzuhara...]  
  
"Okay, who's next?"  
  
Asuka walked forward, raising her hand. "Well, seeing as I'm the birthday girl, I better get up and have a sing," she explained.  
  
The crowd clapped her up to the makeshift stage, Shinji a little more enthusiastic than most.  
  
"Okay, this song is what goes through my head everytime I step into a certain 50-foot red biomechanical weapon of mass destruction...I want to sing it to try and give you people a little idea what it's like to pilot an Eva into battle...not meaning to sound full of myself or anything..."  
  
A few mutters and nods of approval later, and Asuka chose the song. A loud rock song proceeded to play, Asuka headbanging and all. The less mature of the crowd joined with the NERV staff who were already drunk (Misato) joined Asuka with the headbanging. Finally the lyrics started appearing.  
  
"We're face to face,  
  
Loyalty is what I need to see from you...  
  
You're insecure,  
  
I feel the fear that breeds in your heart...  
  
Where will you run? Where will you hide?  
  
I see the blood drip from your eyes,  
  
Who will survive? Let's get it on  
  
And we'll fight..."  
  
The music picked up. "I know who you are...  
  
The leader of lost souls...  
  
You can't kill me, I'm immortal...  
  
I'm not afraid to die,  
  
My soul will travel on,  
  
You can't kill me, I'm immortal...Immortal..."  
  
The song continued on, as did the headbanging. When Asuka finished, everyone under eighteen cheered and whooped Asuka as she bowed and accepted applause from the older people.  
  
Asuka stepped toward the crowd around her. Maya picked up the mike.  
  
"Whoa! Who knew these Eva pilots had it in them!?" Maya stirred up the crowd. Shinji's felt his ears perk. [Oh crap. They'll want me up next...]  
  
Sure enough, everyone's eyes focused on the Third Child. [Yep, they want me up next...]  
  
"Come on, Shinji!" "Don't be a wuss!" "Show us what you got!" Shinji shrugged and walked forward. The crowd cheered, Asuka and the Two Stooges whooping and clapping madly. Shinji didn't have any idea what song to sing. He leant over to Hyuga.  
  
"I don't know what to sing!" he whispered hoarsely to Makoto.  
  
"Aw, don't worry, Shinji!" Hyuga said, smiling, while he chose a song.  
  
Shinji turned back to the crowd, waiting for Hyuga's selection to come on. When the music faded in, and the crowd died down, Shinji recognised the song as one in Misato's collection, therefore he knew the words. [Thank God for that...] He closed his eyes, and the first verse began.  
  
"And I'd give up forever to touch you," he began,  
  
Coz I know that you feel me somehow,  
  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
  
And I don't want to go home right now..."  
  
Shinji's eyes opened, and they scanned the crowd for Asuka. She was in the front, hands holding her new pendant, eyes fixed on Shinji.  
  
"All I can taste is this moment,  
  
All I can breathe is your life,  
  
Coz sooner or later it's over  
  
I just don't want to miss you tonight...  
  
And I don't want the world to see me," Shinji's voice wavered at the start of the high notes, but flattened itself out over time,  
  
"Coz I don't think that they'd understand,  
  
When everything's made to be broken,  
  
I just want you to know who I am..."  
  
Shinji's eyes were still on Asuka. Asuka's eyes were still on Shinji. They stayed like this until the next verse.  
  
"And you can't fight the tears that aren't coming,  
  
Or the moment of truth in your lies,  
  
When everything feels like the movies,  
  
And you bleed just to know you're alive..."  
  
"And I don't want the world to see me,  
  
Coz I don't think that they'd understand,  
  
When everything's made to be broken,  
  
I just want you to know who I am..."  
  
Asuka's eyes never left her heart's desire as the chorus repeated over. There was no doubt who the song was for. Her heart melted, her legs almost giving way. [Shinji...] When the song ended, no one could believe how brilliant Shinji's voice was, considering his adolescence. The applause went a while after Shinji had rejoined the crowd. Asuka went up to him after his impromptu performance.  
  
"Shinji..." Asuka said, "That was beautiful..."  
  
"Thanks," Shinji said.  
  
Misato watched the pair walk off, only to have her eyes drawn away for a brief moment. Her eyes were drawn to a big black gap in the montage board.  
  
[Argh! Bloody Shinji!] Misato grinned, and walked up to the platform. Reaching behind the board that was mounted above Balthasar, she found a large, yellow envelope. Delving a hand inside it, she pulled out a large glossy of Asuka and Shinji, the Third Child in one of the Second's suits.  
  
[Wonder if he knows how many of these I have?] Misato grinned wider as she stuck the picture over the black gap. After this was done, she walked off to find another can of Yebisu.  
  
By now, Maya had unplugged the mike and put it away, deferring all song requests to Hyuga. He let out a cry of protest, but was drowned out by a mob of schoolkids requesting different songs.  
  
"Play Immortal again!" "No, I wanna hear T.a.T.u!" "Get stuffed, put on N.E.R.D!"  
  
[Who the hell are all these bands!?] Hyuga groaned, and compiled a playlist.  
  
At this time, someone flicked off the lights as someone else replaced the now-disabled Ocean display with Hyuga's Visual Music program. Hyuga designed the program to respond with certain sound waves in the music to create visual patterns on the holographic monitors. When the music started. the combined effect of the lack of regular lights and Hyuga's program was that of a disco.  
  
Kensuke was running around with a regular camera (his camcorder was out of batteries and film), taking snapshots of people enjoying the party. Well, that was his cover story, anyway... [Now, where are some couples?] Kensuke asked himself, as he went into 'hunting' mode. It didn't take him long before someone asked him for a picture.  
  
"Alright, just stand right there for a sec," Kensuke said, as he took a few steps backward, "You're gonna have to move in a bit, uh, Maya, was it? Yeah, nice and close to Ritsuko...and..."  
  
The camera let out a flash. Kensuke lowered the camera. "All done!" The couple went back to their own business. Kensuke held up the camera again. The camera's shutter went down, taking a picture of Maya and Ritsuko in a deep pash.  
  
[God, I can be a prick sometimes!] Kensuke had wired the camera with a five second timer, giving his photo subjects five seconds to make a complete ass of themselves before the photo was taken. [Kensuke Aida, you're a friggin genius! Now, where's Shinji and Asuka...?]  
  
Shinji was walking back past the montage board, and looked up at it.  
  
[Oh, son of a bitch!] The photo was back up. Shinji took the photo back off, and ripped it into shreds, dropping them off the nearest ledge. He then went over to Caspar to retrieve his drink.  
  
Kensuke was still looking around for compromisingly drunken partygoers to take pictures of. Suddenly, Rei appeared in front of him.  
  
"Oh, hey Rei," Kensuke said.  
  
"Um, Kensuke, would you mind taking a photo of me?"  
  
"Oh, sure." Kensuke leveled the camera at Rei, making sure to get all of her in the shot. He pressed the button. The flash showed up early, just as his timer had rigged it to. Rei assuming the picture was taken, walked closer to the bespectacled one. Kensuke should've known something was going to happen. In a very short space of time, Maya had come up to him, in a bid to examine his camera, at the same time as Rei put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"That's a pretty good looking camera," Maya declared, as she reached for it. Kensuke made a grab for it, but he was too late. Kensuke looked up at Rei, who was motioning for a kiss, and she wasn't going to be denied any time soon. Maya examined the camera, while Kensuke counted the last two seconds on the fuse.  
  
"It looks like it's been modified," Maya noticed, as she aimed the camera at Kensuke, involved in mouth-to-mouth relations with the First Child. The timer ran out, and Maya heard a click in the camera. "Oh, that's odd..."  
  
Kensuke's heart plummeted. [She just took a picture...of me and Rei...]  
  
"Thanks," Rei said, as she turned around.  
  
"I think something's wrong with your camera..." Maya said as she handed it back. Kensuke stood there, stunned, his lips still moist due to Ayanami.  
  
[Damn...]  
  
Meanwihle, Shinji was looking around for Asuka. As he walked by the door leading to the corridor, he felt his arm being grabbed, and pulled into the corridor.  
  
"Gaah!" was all he managed to say, as he was confronted by Asuka.  
  
"Follow me, Third Child." Shinji was still trying to process what was happening.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"It's nothing to be worried about, I just want some private time..."  
  
"Oh..." Shinji got the idea, and followed Asuka to the elevator around the corner.  
  
Just as they had cleared the corner, Toji ducked his head out of the door.  
  
"Shinji?" he said, inaudible to the young Ikari. Toji had seen Shinji be pulled behind the door.  
  
[Maybe he went to the elevator...] Toji said, as he went round the corner.  
  
He was just in time to see the elevator doors close on two people, one a young man with a white shirt and dark trousers, the other a redhead wearing a scarlet satin dress.  
  
[Asuka! I knew it!] Toji found himself in a moral dilemma. [Should I follow them? I wonder where they're going...]  
  
Toji looked at the elevator floor indicator, then cross referenced the floor number to the directory beside the elevator. [The Cage...what the hell? What kind of name for a floor is "The Cage"?] He pressed the "Call Lift" button...  
  
----------  
  
Hikari walked around amongst the other party members, and noticed that many of her friends were missing.  
  
[Where's Asuka? Or Toji? Maybe if I ask Shinji...hang on, where's Shinji?] She felt something push into her from behind. Letting out a gasp, she turned around to see Maya being chased by Ritsuko, both of them out of their minds with alcohol.  
  
"Hey look, Shempai," Maya slurred, "It's another one of Ashuka's friends..."  
  
Ritsuko tried to focus her eyes. "Hey, it looksh kinda like that Shuhuzara kid's girlfriend..."  
  
[What the...] Hikari tried to find a way to get away from the pair of creepy NERV tech-heads. Before she could move, Ritsuko blocked her path. Hikari turned the other way, only to be cut off by Maya. Hikari was more than a little nervous now.  
  
"What'sh your rush, kid?" Ritsuko grinned evilly through her seemingly drunken state, "Haven't you ever had a threeshum before?"  
  
Hikari almost choked. [Threesome!? What are they gonna do with me!?] She tried to push Maya out of the way, but she held her ground. At this point, Hikari felt a sharp pain in her arm. She turned her head to see a blue liquid flow through a syringe into her arm.  
  
"Hey! What was that for? Why...ugh..." Hikari's head spun.  
  
"This sedative goes directly to your brain, or more accurately the part that controls...well, self control. From now until the sedative wears off in about two hours you'll find that you'll do whatever comes into your head..." Ritsuko explained. Hikari could only manage a slow nod.  
  
"Aww, you look a little queasy," Ritsuko said, in a fake-caring manner, "Why don't you let Maya and I take you to the restrooms?"  
  
"Ooh...yes..." Hikari staggered after the pair of NERV staff.  
  
[Looks like that sedative did its job,] Maya though, glancing at the stupored class rep.  
  
"I still don't feel right about this, sempai..."  
  
"Listen, did you want to try a threesome tonight or not?"  
  
"Yes, but not like this..."  
  
----------  
  
The lift opened for Asuka and Shinji. "The cage?"  
  
"This seems secluded enough for now. Cmon!" Asuka grabbed Shinji's hand and led him across the catwalk. The sight was truly amazing, especially for a tech-head like Kensuke, who was still taking pictures for leverage upstairs. The pinkish red coolant fluid filled most of the gigantic room, with a metal catwalk creating a bridge to a makeshift-looking elevator, which in turn led up to access points to the mighty creatures themselves; the Evangelion. Eva Unit One was closer to their position, and Unit Two was on the other side of the catwalk.  
  
Asuka pulled Shinji into the elevator and pressed the "Up" button. Shinji looked back at the main elevator. From the distance he was at, he couldn't notice that it was headed back up, and if he did, failed to make the connection that it meant that someone else was coming down here.  
  
The cage lift reached its destination. Shinji walked Asuka a few steps onto the bridge above the coolant pond. They stood there, looking at their respective robots of destruction, memories of previous battles against the Angels flooding back to them. They broke eye contact to look at each other. Asuka smiled warmly at Shinji.  
  
[This...] Was this the first time that Asuka had smiled that way at Shinji? He couldn't remember. Whichever way, Shinji smiled back.  
  
"Shinji..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do...do you want to become one...with me?"  
  
[Aagh!] Shinji's mind slipped on Asuka's words, causing a little deja vu.  
  
"One in mind and body..." Shinji muttered to himself, nodding lovingly at Asuka.  
  
Shinji turned toward Asuka, and gently placed a hand around her back. He then led her to Unit Two's entry plug access point. Asuka leant over and pulled the Emergency Release lever, force-ejecting Unit Two's entry plug. Shinji opened the hatch, and gave Asuka a boost into it. Shinji followed her in, shutting the hatch behind him.  
  
Down below, the elevator had just returned, carrying Toji. He rushed out of the elevator.  
  
"Shinji!" Toji shouted. He looked out across the Cage. A pool of pinky- red water was on the right side of the catwalk, and on the left, a giant structure, housing...  
  
"Huuuhgh!" Toji gasped as he saw Evangelion Unit One. Suddenly, he fell backward, collapsing back into the elevator. Disturbing images filled his head.  
  
"No...please, Shinji...don't...it hurts!" he cried, cowering in the corner of the elevator, clutching his waist and neck...  
  
---------  
  
Almost as soon as Shinji closed the hatch, he turned to find himself embraced by the Second Child. Asuka's eyes engaged Shinji's, filled with lust. Shinji leant in as the two kissed deeply, leaning back in Asuka's seat. Their hearts beat faster, the sheer passion and lust making the air electric, making every touch between the lovers electric. The two lovers found that this new activity was just as exciting and pleasant as many of their older associates testified. Soon, Asuka's mind registered a strange, ecstatic force building in her depths. Every touch, every thrust fuelled this feeling, gradually growing this warm feeling into an inferno of the senses, every nerve tingling in a genetically imprinted anticipation. The redhead felt the full force of this wave of sensation building inside of her, waiting for release. When it did, Asuka's pleasure sensors went off the scale.  
  
"Agh, agh-AAAAAAHHHHH!" she shouted, as a tsunami of euthoria washed over the young Eva pilot. Shinji moaned shortly and was soon also spent.  
  
Shinji withdrew himself from Asuka's most private parts. They lie completely still in each others' arms, gazing contently into each other's eyes.  
  
"Shinji...a few days ago, we hated each other's guts, but inside, I knew I saw...something between us..." Asuka closed her eyes. "I can't believe that I spent two years shutting out the one person I cared about in the world..."  
  
"Asuka, I've...loved you...ever since the seventh Angel. I...just never had the guts to admit it to myself, let alone you...you made it that much harder..."  
  
"But then..." they had both said it in unison.  
  
"I finally realised what I saw in you to begin with..."  
  
"I finally stood up for what I believed in..."  
  
"You." they looked at each other.  
  
"You gave me the best present I could have got from anyone...your heart..."  
  
"No, I couldn't have given it to you," Shinji replied, "because you had already stolen it."  
  
Asuka smiled. "That...has got to the the worst line I've ever heard..."  
  
They both laughed in each others' arms. They smiled, and closed their eyes, succumbing to the temptation of rest.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Why did Toji flip out at the sight of Unit One? What vile intentions are running through Ritsuko's mind this time? How meny copies of THAT picture does Misato have? Find out in the next chapter of The Last Gift She Expected...  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
The songs Crawling by Linkin Park, Immortal by Adema, Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, and the bands T.a.T.u and N.E.R.D are all used without permission from their respective recording labels. 


	7. Regretful Actions : But He Can't Be

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Last time on The Last Gift She Expected... The party was in full swing, and soon the alcohol got to everyone. Maya started up the karaoke machine, while Shinji and Misato waged a war over a certain picture... Once again, the conniving Ritsuko tries to take advantage of a girl half her age, when she sedates Hikari and takes her away! And when Shinji and Asuka sneak off to The Cage, Toji follows, only to find himself cowering and whimpering at the sight of Eva Unit One...  
  
And now, without further ado...  
  
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 7: Regretful Actions : But He Can't Be...  
  
-----------  
  
Kensuke had gone through a whole roll of film with his trick camera, finding drunken pictures of almost all of his colleagues at school, some whoring themselves to the NERV staff. All that he was missing were some 'tasteful' snaps of Hikari and Toji, an some not so tasteful shots of Shinji and Asuka. Unfortunately, he couldn't find any of them.  
  
[Where the hell are they!?] Kensuke glanced around the room. Two of the NERV guys, Aoba and Hyuga, were hovering around Melchior, sipping at a couple of Vic Bitters, on import from Australia. Misato was leaning against a rail, looking peeved about something, a can of Yebisu in her hand. Gendo was in his usual seat above everything, as he would be in any other situation, except for the addition of a conical party hat. It looked so...wrong...that it was funny. Apart from that, the only other people still on the Bridge were six of the eight schoolgirls, and...Rei...  
  
Kensuke looked across at Rei. She was conversing with one of Asuka's friends, seated on a spare place on Caspar. Kensuke had known Rei long enough to know that this was very different from normal Rei behaviour. Over the last day or two Rei had changed a lot. She'd become a little more talkative, she smiled a lot more (hell, she was smiling, period), she was dressing differently... [I mean, look at her, normally going to a party calls for her school uniform, and now she's wearing a cocktail dress. Not that I'm complaining, it really brings out her mammaries...her silky thighs...her calves...]  
  
Kensuke mentally slapped himself. [What the hell am I saying!? Am I falling...for...] He grabbed one of the bottles of whisky, taking long, repeated gulps...  
  
-----------  
  
The Cage was silent. The coolant fluid was still, not so much as a rat on the catwalk, due to the brilliant security that NERV had installed in that particular room. But still, there was life in the room. In the upper levels of the room, where access points to the Evangelions' heads were, someone had withdrawn the entry plug from Eva Unit Two. Upon closer inspection, someone had affixed a coat hanger on the service hatch...  
  
Inside, Shinji lay peacefully, Asuka already asleep on top of him. His arms were around her waist, her head nestled against his chest. He lay there, thinking of the events of the past few days. He hadn't known that Kaji was dead when he tried to call his place on the outskirts of Tokyo 3. Only yesterday did he find out that the person who answered the phone two days ago was just having him on. [It was a shame. Misato might not act like it, but she still loves Kaji...It must have been hard for her...]  
  
Looking down at the beauty in his arms, he began to wonder what was happening to his life recently. A matter of days ago, just looking at Asuka the wrong way was a crime punishable by castration, Rei had about as much personality as a talking brick, and Misato was a disorganised, lazy slob. Now, Shinji had seen an entirely different side to each of them. Asuka had a heart, Rei had a soul, and Misato had the basic remnants of organisational skills. What's more, it was Asuka's birthday, yet both her and Shinji received the last present they had expected: each other. Shinji lay back, and closed his eyes, hoping for a little more rest before the morning.  
  
Asuka stirred in his arms. "Hey there," Asuka said, her free arm moving to her neck.  
  
"Hey," Shinji said softly.  
  
Asuka stifled a laugh while rubbing her sore neck. "Maybe an entry plug isn't the best place for sleeping..."  
  
Shinji quietly laughed. "Never really figured you for a romantic, anyway..."  
  
"Hah." Asuka shifted her arm back in front of her, and checked the time.  
  
"Huh...?" she muttered as she double-checked her watch.  
  
"What's the matter, Asuka?"  
  
"It's...2:00...we should be...zzz..." Asuka had fallen asleep.  
  
Shinji sat, waiting for Asuka to finish that sentence, before realising what happened to her, and fell asleep himself.  
  
------------  
  
Kensuke was starting to get worried now. It had been two hours since he had seen anyone he knew at the Bridge. [What if something had happened to them?] Kensuke walked toward Misato.  
  
She turned to the bespectacled boy. "Can I help you?" she asked, slurring slightly.  
  
"Misato? Have you seen Shinji lately?"  
  
Misato thought for a short while. "Anou...I think the last time I saw him he went out that door," she said, pointing to the door leading out to the corridor. "Why don't you try and find Toji? He went to follow him."  
  
"That's the thing, I can't find him either..."  
  
"Oh...well I wonder where the hell they are...why don't I come with you?"  
  
"Sure." Kensuke led the way, Misato following her. Kensuke walked down the long corridor, and finally rounded a corner, finding himself in front of the elevators. Kensuke was about to walk past, until Misato, bringing up the rear, noticed the elevator lights.  
  
"Hold up there, Kensuke," Misato said. Kensuke stopped.  
  
"Look," Misato pointed to a set of lights above the elevator, "the elevator lights say that the elevator is stranded at Floor B-20. That's the Cage floor..."  
  
"The Cage? What kind of name's that for a floor?"  
  
"Well...I suppose technically you aren't allowed to see...especially with that camera..."  
  
"Awww, come on, Misato..." Kensuke pleaded, "...you know I've always looked up to you..."  
  
Misato laughed, and pressed the "Down" button. "Oh, all right..." She smiled. "You're gonna get a kick out of this."  
  
The unlikely pair waited for the elevator. The doors opened, to reveal a disheveled human shape in the corner. Misato drew her gun, leveling it at the shape with lightning speed.  
  
"No! Stop!" Kensuke held Misato back, "It's Toji!"  
  
Indeed it was Toji, crumpled in the corner. Kensuke rushed to his friend's aid.  
  
"Toji! Are you all right? Say something, buddy!"  
  
Toji looked up. Vicious scars were evident across his belly and neck. "No.It hurts..."  
  
Kensuke gasped at the sight of Toji's injuries. "Who...who did this to you...?"  
  
"Shin...ji..."  
  
Kensuke feared the worst, until Misato's intense military training kicked in. Observing the scars, and Toji's hands, she deducted, "The scars are self-induced..."  
  
Kensuke looked at Toji. "Toji...what did you do to yourself?"  
  
---------  
  
"No! Shinji! Don't, please!"  
  
Toji looked in horror from the cockpit of Eva Unit Three. In front of him stood Eva Unit One, piloted by Shinji. Toji had failed to notice a few minutes ago that Unit One's entry plug had been ejected a while ago, and therefore assumed Shinji was still in the cockpit.  
  
Eva Unit One threw Unit Three to the ground, under the control of the dummy plug. Toji grimaced in pain as his Evangelion hit the deck. Before he could get up, Unit One was on him, pulling at his armor plates, tearing them out of his flesh, peeling back the skin underneath....  
  
"Aaaaagggh!" Toji was experiencing a kind of pain previously thought impossible to him. His insides were being ripped out, one by one. Toji screamed in pain as the Evangelion reached behind Unit Three's neck, ripping out a large chuck of flesh, thankfully for Toji containing his entry plug. The nerve connections broke, releasing Toji from the incredible pain he was forced to endure. Toji breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was all over, at least until the entry plug's walls caved in on him. Toji screamed in horror as the walls crushed against him, breaking a good majority of the bones in his body...  
  
-----------  
  
"Toji had thought he'd forgotten this episode," Misato explained the situation, "Indeed, most of us thought so as well. Ritsuko gave him nerve pulse paralysis therapy to ensure that the memory was wiped from his brain. I mean, it's not exactly a memory you want to keep..."  
  
Kensuke sat in amazement. [Just to think, anytime they wanted they could've sent men in black after me, given me a nerve paralysis thingy...] Looking at Toji, now sitting outside the elevator, Kensuke made the connection.  
  
"You said the elevator was on the Cage floor...what exactly is on that floor that warrants it being called the Cage?"  
  
Misato looked at Kensuke. "Um...I can't really tell you..." Noticing the disappointment in Kensuke's face, she let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like "Eva!"  
  
Kensuke's face immediately twisted into one of unbelievable joy. "Wow! I'm gonna see where they're kept!?"  
  
"Yeah, just shut up about it, huh? And I'm afraid that I'll have to confiscate this, too," making a grab for Kensuke's camera, and placing it in a pocket.  
  
Kensuke frowned a bit, but it didn't seem to affect him a terrible lot. Kensuke knelt down beside Toji.  
  
"We're just going for a little while," Kensuke told Toji, "You'll be alright here." Kensuke stood back up, and followed Misato into the lift.  
  
Misato continued. "Toji must've came down here," she said as she pushed the "B-20" button. The elevator jolted, then descended. "He saw Eva Unit One, and that triggered the relapse. The only question is, why did Toji come down here?"  
  
The makeshift detectives were still pondering this question when the lift arrived at its destination. Kensuke immediately rushed out onto the catwalk.  
  
"Oh my God! There they are!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Standing in front of him, of course, were the gigantic Evangelions. Misato looked on and smiled, seeing the look on Kensuke's face. Misato walked into the giant room. "Hmm...Nothing seems wrong here...let's try the top layer." Misato led Kensuke to the lift up to the entry points, used only a few hours ago by a certain lovestruck pair of Eva pilots.  
  
Misato walked across the dizzyingly high catwalk without as much as a shudder. Kensuke, on the other hand, preferred the safety of the lift. Misato walked to a spot in between the heads of the Evangelions, hoping to glean an explanation of some sort.  
  
"Oh, excuse me, Ms. Holmes?" Misato's head flicked to the side, to see that Kaji had somehow sneaked into the Cage room.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here Kaji!?" Misato shouted, grabbing Kensuke's attention from the elevator. Kensuke was confused. [Kaji!? How'd he get here? I thought he was...]  
  
"Oh, I'm just trying to help you figure out what Toji was doing down here..." he grinned, "Just look at Eva Unit Two."  
  
Misato's head turned away from Kaji and toward the red Evangelion. Only when she really looked at it did she notice that its entry plug was out... Misato walked around to the access platform, to look for any reasons that the entry plug wasn't in the Eva as it should be.  
  
"What the...that's weird..." Misato pulled a coat hanger out of the hatch handle. "What's a coat hanger doing on the...oh..." The Major caught on as to what was happening. She twisted open the hatch to confirm her theory. Sure enough, inside, Asuka lay, half-naked, sleeping with Shinji. Misato quickly shut the hatch, and turned to leave, only to find Kensuke had gained the testicular fortitude to walk onto the see-through platform.  
  
"So? Did you figure it out?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"Well, uh..."  
  
"Why've you got a coat hanger?"  
  
"It was in the..."  
  
Inside the entry plug, Asuka's eyes sprung wide open, her pupils dilated. She looked down at herself, and instinctively covered herself up. She sat up, disturbing Shinji's slumber.  
  
"Hrmmm...whassamatter, Asuka?" Shinji mumbled, still half asleep.  
  
"Someone's outside!" Asuka said, sounding a little frantic, while adjusting her bra.  
  
Shinji sat up in shock, making things a little uncomfortable for the Second Child. Asuka bashed her pretty little red haired head against the roof. "Ow! Watch it, will you?"  
  
"Gomen..." Shinji did up his fly, and reached over for his shirt.  
  
Outside, Misato was trying to get Kensuke away from the semi-naked pilots.  
  
"Huh? Did the entry plug just move?"  
  
"No, you didn't see nothing. Now let's go back upstairs..."  
  
"No, I think someone's in there..." Kensuke struggled with Misato before finally pushed past the Major and cranked open the hatch. He craned his head into the entry plug.  
  
Kensuke's eyes were greeted with a bloodcurdling sight, at least to him. Shinji was helping Asuka with her skirt, pulling it down below her shapely thighs. Kensuke was obviously shocked.  
  
[I'd already seen Misato's picture, but seeing it for real really sends the message home...] Kensuke held his position, mouth agape, as he was given an split-second view of Asuka's most private parts. Shinji and Asuka were paralyzed with embarrassment. Seconds went by, until finally, Asuka woke up to herself, as did Shinji.  
  
"AAAAH! PERVERSE IDIOTI!" the couple said in perfect unison. The harmonized shouts reverberated throughout the plug, deafening Kensuke, who fell out of the entry plug, landing on the ground. Misato watched in amusement, as Shinji and Asuka walked out, Asuka purposely walking on Kensuke.  
  
"Do you guys mind!?" Asuka yelled at Misato and Kensuke.  
  
"We were trying to get some sleep!" Shinji continued.  
  
[Oh my God, Shinji's become like the Devil...] Kensuke couldn't believe the immense change in Shinji's personality.  
  
"I'm sorry," Misato apologized, "We just thought something happened to you guys..."  
  
Asuka crossed her arms. "What? Don't you think we can handle ourselves?" she said, in her classic "I'm-better-than-everyone-else" tone.  
  
"Oh, you were doing a lot more than handling yourselves..." Kensuke's remarks got not one but two penetrating glares from Shinji and Asuka. "Gomen..."  
  
Misato smiled. "Cmon, let's go back upstairs. I'll go back home and pick up your sleeping bags."  
  
"Sleeping bags?"  
  
Kensuke picked himself up. "Didn't you guys know it was a sleepover?"  
  
Shinji and Asuka looked at each other quizzically.  
  
"Cmon, upstairs, everyone. Kensuke, one picture." Misato handed Kensuke back his camera. Kensuke treasured the gift as if Misato had just given Kensuke his very own production model Evangelion. He held up the camera, which ironically had only one picture left. Shinji and Asuka stood in front of him, in between the two Evas in the background. Kensuke leveled the camera, herding the two pilots into position.  
  
"Okay, cheese!" Kensuke said brightly.  
  
The two pilots smiled broadly, and Kensuke's camera flashed. Kensuke dummied a backward turn, hoping to catch Shinji and Asuka out with the modified timer. They bought it, and almost instantaneously pashed, confident that Kensuke was out of film. Kensuke held up the camera and smiled. [Perfect...] he thought as the shutter clicked. Kensuke walked off for real this time, with Misato waiting for him, Shinji and Asuka.  
  
"You know, I noticed your trick with the camera," Misato commented, "That's a pretty sneaky idea..."  
  
"Thanks," Kensuke grinned, "It's purpose built for an occasion like this."  
  
"An occasion like what?"  
  
"A lot of my friends all getting really, really drunk," Kensuke laughed.  
  
"Who gets really drunk?" Asuka had walked into the elevator, Shinji close behind.  
  
"Don't worry," Misato smiled as she pressed the "Down" button.  
  
----------  
  
Toji was still sitting outside the elevator. The memory of having his guts ripped out by a berserk Eva was still there, but the phantom pain was gone. He was now sitting upright, wondering how long everyone else would take to get back. And another thing, Misato and Kensuke were accounted for, but what about Shinji and Asuka? Had they gone to look for them? And where the hell was Hikari? He hadn't seen her since they snuck off during the karaoke.  
  
Toji stood up, and shuffled toward the Bridge. Maybe he'd find out something there...  
  
-----------  
  
Rei looked around the Bridge. The only people who she recognized in the room now were Aoba and Hyuga. Even the Commander had gone off somewhere.  
  
[This is just great,] Rei thought to herself, [The one time I act normally, and everyone pisses off!] Rei gasped at her thought process. [My God, is that me?] Rei smiled. [I suppose I should go look for everyone...]  
  
Rei grabbed a bottle of Midori and headed out the door. Just as Rei headed out, Toji entered from the other side. [Damn, where is everyone?] He headed to a group of girls from his school. He could smell the varieties of alcohol on them as he approached.  
  
"Uh, excuse me," Toji interrupted. Four girls turned around, "Yeah?"  
  
"Have you seen where Hikari went?"  
  
The girls looked at each other, then one of them spoke. "I think I saw her get taken off by a couple of the NERV chicks," she slurred.  
  
[Probably talking about Dr. Akagi,] Toji thought. "Thanks," he said as he walked off.  
  
---------  
  
Rei walked down another similar corridor, swigging the odd mouthful of Midori as she went.  
  
[I just realized how boring this place looks,] Rei thought to herself. Walking past one of the offices, Rei heard a strange moaning noise from inside. Rei stopped, helping her hear the voices clearer.  
  
[Miss Ibuki...and someone else...] Rei walked to the door, hoping to find out whose office it was. The name "Dr. Ritsuko Akagi" was etched into a plaque hanging on the door. Rei put her ears against the door.  
  
"Now, now, Hikari," Ritsuko's voice said, "be a good girl and have another shot...don't worry, it doesn't hurt..."  
  
"No! You're crazy, you know that? That shot possesses people! Don't you dare come near me with that?"  
  
"Aw, I love it when you play hard to get," Ritsuko taunted, "What are you gonna do? Struggle in your ropes furiously at me?"  
  
[Dr. Akagi has taken Hikari prisoner...] Rei thought to herself, [I must do something...]  
  
Rei opened the door slightly. Luckily for her, the door was facing away from Ritsuko and Maya, and toward Hikari. Rei saw Ritsuko lean over Hikari, the schoolgirl trying to struggle out of the ropes bonding her to the chair. Hikari's clothes were disheveled, leaving nothing to the imagination when it came to her recent activities. Hikari leaned her head over past her captors to see Rei. Rei put her finger to her lips, telling Hikari to keep quiet. Hikari returned her head to its normal position. Rei snuck up to Ritsuko, using her old, heartless voice to say, "What are you doing?"  
  
Ritsuko turned around, surprised by the blue-haired girl. "What? Oh, Rei," Ritsuko said, "It's only you..."  
  
"You shouldn't do that to people..." Rei's old voice told off Ritsuko.  
  
Ritsuko smirked. "Really?" she said, now advancing on Rei, holding out a syringe. "And what's the blue-haired wonder gonna do about it, hm?"  
  
Rei demonstrated what she would do about it. Grasping Ritsuko's syringe arm, she thrust her palm underneath the doctor's elbow, forcing Ritsuko to drop the syringe. Rei then lifted her leg, kneeing Maya in the guts, who was rushing to hit her. Rei then turned, slamming her elbow into Ritsuko's stomach, reared back and punched Ritsuko in the mouth with a screaming back fist. Ritsuko flew into the back wall, falling groggily to the ground. Hikari looked on, amazed at Rei's incredible martial prowess. Maya got to her knees, wincing in pain and holding her gut. Rei picked up a letter opener from Ritsuko's desk, and used it to cut Hikari's restraints.  
  
"How on earth did you do that?" Hikari asked, as she released her wrists from the cut rope.  
  
"Standard self defence training," Rei said, no longer so monotonous, "Anyone who works at NERV is forced to take up some form of martial arts. Shinji chose Nan Chuan, and Asuka already knew Jeet Kune Do. Back when I had no personality, the Commander chose one for me: Aikido."  
  
"Oh, really? Where did you take it up?"  
  
"The Major organized a sensei to come down from New Yokohama to tutor me."  
  
"Hmmm..." Hikari's mind ticked over. Rei knelt down and picked up the syringe. She knelt down to Ritsuko's neck, and injected the fluid inside it into Ritsuko's neck.  
  
"Now, Dr. Akagi," she asked, "what was in that syringe?"  
  
Ritsuko refused to tell the Eva pilot at first, but then the drug kicked in. "It's a form of neural paralysis fluid, that works solely on the part of the brain that governs self control..."  
  
"Which does what?"  
  
"Basically, it removes the subjects capacity for free thought. Any idea suggested to the subject is automatically executed by the subject."  
  
Hikari was outraged that a human being would use that on her. "You bitch! Just you wait..." Hikari was about to hit Ritsuko, but Rei held her back.  
  
"No, Hikari," Rei said, a grin starting to form on her face, "I think the punishment should fit the crime..."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
What kind of punishment does Rei have in mind? What's the deal with Misato and Kaji? Will Kensuke live longer than a week after he gets that film developed? All the answers and more in the next Last Gift She Expected!  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Author's Note: Finally, the computer has been fixed! I can start posting again! What a glorious day! I am looking forward to finally finishing this story. Just a few things I want to clear up: I am relatively new to the fic-writing game, so from other stuff I've read on this site, I set myself a line that I couldn't cross in the ways of lemony content. I've tried to limit the content contained in the story to a level that I consider acceptable to the good people here at FanFiction.Net. If any part of this fic has offended anyone in any way, then I wholeheartedly apologize, but also stand by my decision as a fic-writer not to adjust the story in any way. Also, about Mrs. Suzuhara, be patient, I'm going somewhere with it, and "fifty-foot" is localised slang referring to something bloody big, eg. "So this fifty-foot frickin' shark jumps clean into the boat!". If there was any confusion, well, gomen. Chapter 8 coming soon, sayonara folks! 


	8. Crime and Punishment : Die, Ritsuko, Die...

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Last Time on The Last Gift She Expected...Kensuke runs out of photo victims early, and helps Misato try to find the others. Kensuke soon finds Toji, and Misato finds Shinji and Asuka, asleep in each other's arms, inside Eva Unit Two, much to the shock of Kensuke. Meanwhile, Rei decided to do the same thing, and uncovered Ritsuko's heinous plans for Hikari. After exacting a bit of revenge, Rei started to think of a punishment...  
  
And without further ado...  
  
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 8: Crime and Punishment : Die, Ritsuko, Die!  
  
------------------  
  
Hikari walked out of the room, following Rei. Rei was walking at a fast pace; Hikari had to almost jog to keep up with her.  
  
"Hey, Rei, slow down!" Hikari complained, "What's the rush?"  
  
"That serum," Rei responded, "She told me that they were antibodies..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I used to get regular injections of that serum while the Angels were attacking."  
  
"Oh...wait a minute, that means..."  
  
"Yes. That must be why I was always so closed off from everyone else..."  
  
Hikari finished Rei's train of thought for her. "It's her fault that you have no friends..."  
  
Rei walked on. Hikari asked, "Where are we going?"  
  
"She also injected me with a whole lot of other stuff." Rei remembered a term Asuka used when the in-school immunization program was implemented. "Ritsuko made me a human pin-cushion."  
  
Hikari gave a slight laugh. "Ha!" Rei gave her a glare. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that, just the pin-cushion joke..."  
  
Rei smiled. [It's already working...that drug really did keep me from being normal...damn you, Ritsuko...]  
  
At that time, Hikari and Rei heard a voice shout out from the end of the corridor. "Hey! Wait up!"  
  
Hikari turned around at the familiar voice. "Toji!" Toji hobbled over toward Hikari, while she ran toward him.  
  
"Oh my God, you're hurt! How did this happen?"  
  
"...You know, I'm not quite sure..."  
  
Rei walked up to them while Toji asked. "Hey...your clothes..." Toji noticed Hikari's bedraggled appearance. "What happened to you?"  
  
"I don't even think I want to know..."  
  
Rei interrupted. "We're going to the Medicines Division. Dr. Akagi was...violating Hikari..."  
  
Toji and Hikari gasped. "She did WHAT to Hikari!?" / "She did WHAT to me!?"  
  
Rei turned away down the corridor. "Don't worry. I have something in mind for the good doctor."  
  
Toji and Hikari looked at each other, immediately feeling better about the situation. The three walked down the corridor, brandishing three evil grins...  
  
------------  
  
Kensuke was standing in the lift, between Shinji and Misato, with Asuka standing next to her boyfriend. Kensuke leaned his head closer to the two pilots.  
  
"Hey, have you guys noticed anything wrong with Misato?" he whispered.  
  
"Yeah, great spot to talk about it, dumbkopf!" Asuka hissed back.  
  
"As a matter of fact," Shinji whispered, "She seems to think that she sees Kaji sometimes..."  
  
"Yeah, I thought so...any ideas as to why?"  
  
"I dunno...might have something to do with all that beer she drinks..."  
  
"I reckon you might be right, Asuka. Then again, maybe it's some sort of mental problem..."  
  
"Yeah, if she cared about Kaji that much...I'm worried about her..."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted when the elevator opened. They looked at the Major, awaiting instructions.  
  
"Okay, I'll have to drive back to the apartment. Will you two stay out of trouble until I get back?" Misato eyed off Shinji and Asuka, who immediately turned their respective red/pink shades.  
  
"Yes..." the pair muttered. Misato smiled at Kensuke. "Keep an eye on them," she told him, as she walked to the corridor. Misato turned around the corner, and Kensuke knew what was about to happen. Asuka held the scrawny boy against the wall, fuming.  
  
"Listen you little baka hentai," Asuka growled under her breath, "You so much as breathe a word of any of this to anyone, and your pathetic existence won't be worth seeing through to the end, got it?"  
  
Kensuke looked across at Shinji, horrified. Asuka also shot Shinji a look, but not one of anger, but one of mischief. [Ha ha...Asuka wants to play "good cop bad cop"...]  
  
"Now, come on, Asuka," Shinji mock-pleaded, rather convincingly, "I'm sure that Kensuke wants to do the right thing...don't you?"  
  
Kensuke could only manage a slow nod. Asuka smiled. "Good," she said, releasing the petrified teen. "Now, let's see where everyone else is, hm?"  
  
---------------------------  
  
Rei, Hikari and Toji had arrived in front of a large metal door, marked "Medicinal Laboratory 12".  
  
"So what exactly do you have in mind for Ritsuko?" Hikari turned to the blue-haired wonder.  
  
"If it were up to me, I would.uh, how you say?.kick her ass from here to New Yokosuka."  
  
Toji looked at Rei strangely, having hardly ever heard Rei speak as a normal person would.  
  
"But such a punishment does not fit the crime. I have thought of a better way."  
  
Rei pressed her thumb against the security scanner, waiting for the customary bleep to signify her entry. However, instead of the green "ACCESS GRANTED" appearing on the display, "ACCESS DENIED" flashed onscreen instead. Rei frowned, removing her hand. [What am I supposed to do now?.Hold on a minute.]  
  
Rei felt her hands clench into a fist, and immediately had an idea. Stepping toward the wall, she slammed her fist into the display, once, twice, and thrice. She felt another strange sensation building in her mind. She stepped back, holding her hand. [Was that.rage? Adrenaline?]  
  
"Aw, too tough for you, Rei?" Toji's testosterone kicked in. "Let a man handle this!" Toji stepped forward, and reared back to punch the door. Unfortunately, he stretched his wounds awkwardly, and fell to his knees, clutching his chest and belly, wincing in pain. Hikari laughed, and Rei gave a small smirk.  
  
"Let a woman show you how it's done." Rei stepped back, lining up the door.  
  
"Yaaah!" she ran at the door, lifting her leg at the right time, planting her foot into the door. The rusted hinges holding the door in place gave way, the door falling to the ground under the force of Rei's yakuza-style kick. Toji stood up, impressed by Rei's deceptively powerful frame.  
  
"Whoa.nice one, Rei." Hikari followed Rei into the laboratory.  
  
A cold, sterile room greeted the intruders, the only sign of chaos being the collapsed door. The walls were lined with cabinets, containing syringes with various different colored fluids. In the center of the room was a stainless steel bench, almost like a draining table found in a mortuary. Rei had seen this room many times, but now shivers ran up hers as well as her two counterparts' spines. She walked into the room, opened the cabinets and gathered many of the syringes into her arms.  
  
"My god," Hikari stammered. "You were injected with.all of these?"  
  
"Only a few, but I was never told of what they were. Some of them bought great pain, other took away the pain. In hindsight, they might've been some form of toxin, followed by their antidote."  
  
Hikari held her mouth in shock. "No.way."  
  
"Really?" Rei showed Hikari an exposed part of her arm. Hikari gasped, noticing a pattern of pinpoint scars, all consistent with injections. "Sometimes up to six in one day, one of which was always the clear blue one you're familiar with."  
  
Hikari felt herself gag, and staggered to a nearby sink, sounds of regurgitation filling the dank room.  
  
Toji reared away in disgust. Rei continued to gather as many needles as possible. When she was satisfied, she left the room, Toji supporting a nauseous Hikari.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Shinji led his trio back to the Bridge, in search of everyone else. Asuka peered into the room, only to find that Hyuga and Aoba had passed out, and Asuka's friends from school were already heading for the Second Child.  
  
"Hey Asuka! Where've you been?"  
  
"Where the hell do you think she's been? She took Shinji with her."  
  
"Ooooooh! So Asuka, how was he?"  
  
"What does.it feel like, Asuka?"  
  
Asuka was engulfed in questions, reminding Shinji of his first day at the new school, when everyone found out he was the pilot of Evangelion.  
  
"Listen, do you know where the others went?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Well, after you dragged Shinji off." The rest of the sentence was temporarily lost in giggling and aww-ing, until Asuka asked again with more aggression. "We saw Toji follow you two. Then the two women from NERV went up to Hikari, and she walked off with them, and a while after that Rei just walked off."  
  
[What would Ritsuko and Maya want with Hika.oh, holy SHIT!]  
  
Asuka looked back, and saw that Shinji had come to the same conclusion. They turned for the door they had just came out of, as if they were one. Kensuke was left standing there, as Shinji and Asuka went on a search and rescue operation for Hikari Horaki.  
  
"Hey, you guys!" Kensuke turned and chased after them, "Wait up! You better not be going off to ride Shinji again!" The last comment got a great laugh from the girls.  
  
---------------  
  
Gendo Ikari had left the bridge to go to the surveillance room. He sat in front of the bank of monitors, a bowl of popcorn in his hand, laughing his head off at the situation.  
  
[This is so much better than that show that they used to have on in my age,] he thought to himself, [What was it called? Ah yes, the Big Brother show.] Gendo kicked back as Rei kicked down the door to the Medicine Room. [Hmm.a twist around every corner.maybe I could make a movie.]  
  
The more that Gendo thought about the movie idea, the more he liked it. After all, all he had to do was edit the surveillance footage into a decent movie. He could think about the box-office potential now.more money in the coffers for NERV, Academy Awards for the 'cast', even he could get an Oscar.  
  
Shinji leading Asuka and Kensuke back to the Bridge distracted Gendo. Gendo refocused on the action, shoving a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth. [Damn, these need butter.]  
  
------------------------  
  
"Any idea where Ritsuko's office is from here?" Asuka said, instinctively heading left.  
  
"I know it's three floors up," Shinji said, heading to the elevator to the right. Asuka paused, looked back at Shinji, and turned around. They both went for the elevator, worried about their friend. For them, the elevator couldn't go up three floors quick enough. They rushed out of the elevator, and dashed madly down corridors, looking for Ritsuko's office. [Aww! I was just there a few hours ago! Why can't I find it again!?]  
  
Suddenly Shinji's voice reached Asuka. "Found it!" Asuka turned and followed the voice. Shinji had pinned himself against the door, as Asuka had seen Raiden do in Metal Gear Solid 4: Revelations.  
  
"Can you hear anyone?" Asuka asked Shinji.  
  
"Nothing," Shinji muttered. Asuka instinctively went into Infiltration position #4, pinning herself against the wall to the side of the door. Shinji slowly turned the doorknob, until it was free of the frame, then pushed the door open violently, rushing into the room, Asuka not far behind.  
  
"Ritsuko! What the HELL did you do with Hikari!?" Shinji thundered as he entered the room. Asuka stepped back from Shinji, amazed at Shinji's terrifyingly powerful voice.  
  
Maya propped her head up. "Shinji.thank god." she said.  
  
Asuka leant beside Maya. "What happened here?"  
  
"Ritsuko was drunk.she started hitting on Hikari.I tried to stop her, but she used her serum on the both of us." Asuka got a better look at Maya's face. [Her eyes.they look glazed over.]  
  
Shinji stepped in. "Serum?"  
  
"It takes over your mind.lowers your ability to control yourself.thinking about an action automatically makes you do it.all it takes is for the idea to come into your head.like Ritsuko mentioning it."  
  
[That's it.] [She's dead.] Shinji and Asuka thought exactly the same thing. Shinji's head turned to the corner, where Ritsuko lay, unconscious from her beating at the hands of Rei. His fists clenched, as he walked over there.  
  
"Wait!" Maya said, as she sat up. Shinji turned back around, as did Asuka. "Rei already came through here, and she's on her way back with."  
  
"With what?" Asuka and Shinji's attention was focused on Maya. Maya's eyes darted behind the two pilots, and saw Ritsuko standing up, a pair of blue-filled syringes in hand. [Good.Sempai's plan will work.we need someone to defend us from Rei.huh? What happened? Argh, that bloody serum of Ritsuko's!] Maya focused on her vision again.  
  
"Asuka? Shinji? What are you.agh!" Maya glanced behind the pilots again. "Shit! Watch out!"  
  
Asuka looked behind her, only to find a syringe implanted in her exposed arm. Ritsuko pushed down the plunger, injecting Asuka with the blue serum. Shinji turned at this time, and swung his forearm into Ritsuko's, loosening the syringe from her arm. Asuka's eyes lost focus, and she froze in position.  
  
"Asuka?" Ritsuko asked Asuka.  
  
Shinji looked at Asuka, hoping that the serum didn't work, or it didn't go into her bloodstream, or something. Alas, Asuka could only mutter, "Yes, Sempai?"  
  
[Whoa! Asuka's voice sounds like Rei.] Shinji thought to himself.  
  
Ritsuko smiled. "Would you please subdue Shinji for me?"  
  
"Yes, Sempai." Asuka turned on Shinji, going into a classic jeet kune do position.  
  
Shinji stepped back "Asuka!? Snap out of it!"  
  
Asuka approached Shinji, throwing dummy strikes and feints that Bruce Lee (although Asuka probably would never have heard of him) would've been proud of. Shinji realized that Asuka had fallen victim to Ritsuko's serum and was hesitant to fight back, but nonetheless adopted a defensive nan chuan posture.  
  
[If it's a fight you want, Asuka.] Shinji defended against Asuka's lightning strikes, at least until Shinji noted that jeet kune do involved a lot of bouncing in place. Asuka would've laughed if she was herself, but she wasn't, so she just buried her left foot into Shinji's abdomen with a vicious side kick. Shinji was hurled him into Ritsuko's filing cabinet, jolting it open. Shinji supported his winded body against it, accidentally plunging a hand inside. Glancing inside, he immediately pulled his hand out of Ritsuko's "goodie drawer". Thinking for a second, he plunged his hand back in, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Shinji, while trying not to think of things to inspire thermal expansion, readied the handcuffs for Asuka's next attack.  
  
Asuka jabbed a punch at Shinji. He easily dodged it, and wrapped one half of the handcuffs on Asuka's wrist. Twisting his body around, he slammed his open palms into Asuka's midsection, sending her sailing across the room into a conveniently placed armchair. Shinji rushed forward, grabbing Asuka's arm, twisting it around her body, and cuffing her other arm behind her back. Asuka struggled in the bonds, a snarling growl emanating from her mouth.  
  
"Gomen kudasai, Asuka," Shinji apologized, "You can do better than just growling, can't you?"  
  
Asuka snarled again, looking very upset with herself. Shinji turned to Ritsuko, who was already drawing out another syringe. Shinji walked toward Ritsuko, unfazed by Ritsuko's seemingly infinity arsenal.  
  
"Put it down, Ritsuko," Shinji said, with a controlled rage that came with his Ikari heritage, "You're in enough trouble as it is."  
  
Ritsuko just smiled, standing perfectly still. Shinji continued, "What kind of twisted individual are you, anyway? Manipulating minds to your own ends, violating and taking control of others." he looked back at Asuka for a second, then back at Ritsuko, "You can't be human."  
  
"Me?" Ritsuko smiled, "What about you?" She knew Shinji's weak point: he pilots the Eva. "God sent Angels as messengers of peace, right? You think you can kill God's very own creations, his ambassadors, and call yourself human?"  
  
Shinji's lower lip trembled. He didn't have a response.  
  
"Hmph. As I thought." Ritsuko walked to the frozen shell of Shinji, cockily. "You are the real monster here."  
  
Shinji's mind twisted like a pretzel. [She's right.I am a monster.]  
  
Ritsuko could tell she was breaking him. Her smile grew more devilish. [Ha, I knew good ol' insecure Shinji was still in there somewhere.he'll be crying in the corner in two minutes.]  
  
"A monster." Shinji said to himself, shuddering with low, soft sobs. The word repeated in his mind, over and over.[Monster.monster.monster.monster.]  
  
----------------  
  
In the depths of Shinji's mind, another voice spoke up. {Shinji-kun.}  
  
[.mo.mother?]  
  
{You aren't a monster.you're a savior.I'm proud of you.}  
  
[Mother? Is that you?]  
  
{You've come this far, Shinji.don't run away now.not when you're this close.}  
  
[This close to what?]  
  
{Ritsuko.she despises you now.she sees me in you now.do you know why, my son? Because.}  
  
[Why, mother?]  
  
{She loved Gendo.but she couldn't see that he loved me more.}  
  
[She.who?]  
  
{Ritsuko's mother.she ran a program through Unit One.I was trapped inside.until you came.}  
  
[No! You died during the Second Impact!]  
  
{I thought you didn't trust your father? My soul was taken into Unit One itself.just as what happened to you, after the 14th Angel. It was my release.I fled the Eva, and here I am, with you.}  
  
[Mother.]  
  
{Ritsuko's noticed more and more of my personality in you.it's brought up her inherited hatred for me, Gendo and you.it has twisted her mind.everything she has done, was subconsciously to appease her hatred for you.}  
  
[I must.]  
  
{You must defeat her.you must fight, one last time.}  
  
[No! That would make me a monster! I.can't.]  
  
{You're not a monster.she is.}  
  
------------------  
  
"A monster." Ritsuko whispered into Shinji's ear. Shinji's eyes dilated, his face twisted with rage.  
  
"NOOOO!" Shinji's wiry frame turned on Ritsuko in a pure undiluted fury. Ritsuko gasped as the enraged Ikari boy lifted her solid figure from the ground by the throat.  
  
"I AM NOT A MONSTER!! SHE KILLED MOTHER! SHE IS THE MONSTER!" Shinji screamed amongst his emotional maelstrom, chilling Ritsuko's soul with every thundered word. "YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!! YOU ARE THE MONSTER!!!" Ritsuko looked into the crazed boy's eyes, and was stunned by what she saw. A faint glow was visible, as if the image of another pair of eyes was overlapped over Shinji's own. [Those eyes.Yui? Is this her revenge?] Shinji reared back.  
  
Outside, Rei, Hikari and Toji were approaching Ritsuko's office, syringes in hand.  
  
"Yeah, we're gonna punish her goo." Toji began, but was interrupted by the prone body of Ritsuko Akagi being thrown through her office window, a thin layer of aluminum venetian blinds doing little to absorb her impact against the far wall of the corridor, some three metres away. She hit the wall flat on her back, turned almost fully upside-down, before slumping to the linoleum floor, unconscious.  
  
Shinji stepped through the window, down onto the glass-covered floor. "You are avenged." he muttered to himself, he then turned away.  
  
Rei was stunned by Shinji's incredible feat of strength. She and Hikari may have wanted revenge, but even this at first seemed too much.  
  
Toji was dumbfounded. "H-holy.SHIT!" he stammered out, his body paralyzed with shock at what greeted his eyes. Shinji turned around, the faint glow in his eyes gone without a trace. He looked down at his hands. [Did.I do that?]  
  
"Shinji." Rei walked forward, toward the Third Child. ".are.are you hurt?"  
  
"No," he replied, "I'm fine." [and so is Mother.]  
  
Hikari stepped forward. "How did you do that?"  
  
"Her mother.killed mine.she called me a monster.she almost killed me." Shinji almost broke down again, but something deep down gave him the strength to remain unmoved. "Now.I'm free from her."  
  
A figure in the office doorway stepped into the corridor, her arms still cuffed behind her back. She looked at Shinji, then at the prone but still alive body of Ritsuko. She glared at Shinji.  
  
"You.killed Sempai.!"  
  
Shinji turned to face Asuka. "No, she's not dead, Asu.hang on, Sempai?" It dawned on Shinji that Asuka was still under the control of the serum. Asuka charged at her lover, hands still linked together.  
  
"Ikari! Use this!" Rei threw Shinji a syringe. Shinji caught it, just in time to avoid Asuka's rush. He spun behind her, inserting the decapped needle into Asuka's thigh. She froze in place while the chemical countered the mind-altering effects of Ritsuko's serum. After a few seconds, she blinked, and looked around at Shinji.  
  
"Shinji." Asuka said, seeing her love's face. She then noticed everything else in her immediate environment. "Why am I wearing fluffy handcuffs?"  
  
Toji gaped at Shinji, as did Hikari. Rei fought back a laugh. Shinji's face turned red. "It was all I could find!" he tried to explain. [Shit! Very bad choice of words!]  
  
Asuka soon found herself fighting back laughter, starting from a broad grin, progressing through giggle, snicker, and laugh, finally reaching hysteria. Toji, Hikari, Rei and Shinji didn't take much longer to get to this stage, either.  
  
Just then, Kensuke came rushing around the corner, looking exhausted. "Asuka! Shinji! Finally caught up with you! Don't run off like that! Misato told me to."  
  
Kensuke then noticed that Shinji held Asuka in a sort of embrace, and that Asuka just so happened to be wearing fluffy pink handcuffs.  
  
Kensuke went off. "God-dammit, guys! Can't you stay out of each other's pants for just a minute!?" This triggered off a new wave of laughter. Kensuke then looked over at the still body of Ritsuko Akagi.  
  
"Whoa! Who the HELL did that!?"  
  
"Me." Shinji gave Kensuke the coldest Ikari Glare he could muster. Kensuke back off, at least until Shinji started laughing again.  
  
"So, Shinji the Incredible," Asuka said, "I don't suppose you have keys for these?"  
  
Shinji's heart skipped a beat. [Keys? Were there keys?]  
  
"Um.anyone got some wire?" Five shocked faces greeted his. "Nah, just kidding." Shinji walked over to Ritsuko, and searched her pocket. Sure enough, on her key chain was a small pink one. Shinji took the key and unlocked the cuffs. Asuka rubbed her wrists in appreciation of her newfound freedom.  
  
Meanwhile, Hikari turned to Rei. "Um, thanks.for getting me out of there."  
  
Rei turned to Hikari, searching her mind for the appropriate words. "No problem, Hikari."  
  
Toji faced Shinji. "So, Big Shot, where did you and Asuka go off to?"  
  
"They were." Kensuke began, before Asuka glanced back at him. "Um.looking for you guys. Yeah."  
  
"Y'know, I bet everyone's wondering where the hell we all are." Toji stated.  
  
"Yes. Maybe we should return to the Bridge."  
  
Toji turned toward the Bridge, being supported by Hikari. Kensuke hurried forward to help her.  
  
[Aida.] Rei followed behind Kensuke, and draped her arm around Kensuke's shoulders. Kensuke looked up, and saw Rei smiling at him. He smiled back, hooking his spare arm around her lower back. Asuka and Shinji looked at the group of four, heading back to the Bridge, arms linked. They looked at each other. Asuka gave Shinji a puppy-dog look, as if asking "please?"  
  
"Why not?" he smiled cheerfully. They walked toward the group, and Asuka put her hand around Hikari's shoulders, creating one long chain of six. They shared a laugh, finding the whole gang of six thing hilarious as they walked back to the party.  
  
----------------------  
  
The gang walked back into the Bridge. Asuka and Hikari immediately ran to Melchior, looking for the drinks. Rei followed the other girls, while Toji and Kensuke walked off to the buffet. Shinji walked past Balthasar, but not before looking up at the montage board.  
  
[Aw, god dammit, Misato!] She had put up that damned picture again. Shinji walked over to the board, taking the offending picture and was about to crumple it, when.  
  
"Hey, whatcha got there, Shinji?" Asuka began to walk over to Shinji [Shit!]  
  
Asuka grabbed the picture from Shinji's hands. She glanced at it, and laughed. "Ha! Kensuke sure captured the moment, didn't he?"  
  
Shinji looked at the picture. [Now that she mentions it.it is pretty funny.] "Heh heh, yeah."  
  
"You know what, Shinji? Red suits you a bit," Asuka shot Shinji a furtive glance, "It brings out your.feminine side." She then started laughing.  
  
"Yeah." Shinji didn't really find that funny. [Maybe the drink's starting to affect her humor.]  
  
At that time, Misato walked in, carrying a bundle of sleeping bags and pillows. "Hey, guys!" she said, her face hidden behind a pillow.  
  
"Misato! Let me help you with them," Shinji said, he and Asuka walking over to the Major.  
  
"No, I'm right now," she said, dumping the pile on the ground. "So, was everyone else alright for sleeping gear?"  
  
"Um, Rei didn't bring anything, Hikari's fine with it, Kensuke will need a bag, and I think Toji mentioned his mum coming to pick him up."  
  
Misato's ears perked. [His mother!? Mrs. Suzuhara? I thought that was his aunt or something.]  
  
"Something wrong, Misato?" Asuka questioned.  
  
"Oh, no, nothing," Misato said. [I thought all of the Eva candidates' mothers were dead.could she be.?]  
  
----------------  
  
In the security post, Gendo was already on the phone.  
  
"You have a warrant to search the Suzuhara residence," Gendo commanded, "The woman is suspected of being a spy, possibly armed. Exercise extreme caution." The commander slammed down the phone.  
  
----------------  
  
"By the way, Asuka," Misato noticed a certain picture in Asuka's hand, "what's that in your hand?"  
  
Asuka handed Misato the picture. Misato looked at it, then at Shinji. She laughed, handing the picture back to Asuka. She then walked back over to the montage board. She opened her jacket, and pulled out something from inside it. Pinning it against the wall, she walked away, still chuckling to herself. Sure enough, another copy of the picture was on the wall.  
  
[God damn!] Shinji thought, [How many of those does she have!?]  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Who is Mrs. Suzuhara really? Will Ritsuko recover from two absolute beatings in one night? Will Kensuke survive much longer after he gets those photos developed? All the answers and more in the next The Last Gift She Expected!  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Author's Note: That went a little longer than expected. Anyway, I think that by the most recent chapters you can figure out that I don't like Ritsuko too much. Yeah, that evil bitch.uh, sorry. Just a warning, if any of you are expecting her to get her revenge, then I laugh at you, hahahahaha. Anyway, I think I've covered as much as I can at the party, so it's time for me to move on. I'm probably only two chapters from the end, but I'll try and make the last two chapters a bit bigger. At this point I'd like to thank all of the readers who've followed this story thus far, and for the people who have taken the time to point out some errors. Heck, if it wasn't for those reviews, Toji's mum would still be floating about! Anyway, see you next chapter! 


	9. The Morning After : Shinji the Negotiato...

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Last time on The Last Gift She Expected.Rei is determined to punish Ritsuko in exactly the same method as was done to her during the Angel attacks, with a plethora of syringes and needles. The truth of Rei's personality is revealed to Hikari and Toji. Asuka and Shinji track down Hikari as far as Ritsuko's, where they are ambushed, Asuka falling victim to Ritsuko's serum. Shinji went into a blind rage, defeating both his inner demons and Ritsuko. Meanwhile, Misato stumbles across a surprising revelation: Toji apparently still has a mother!  
  
And without further ado.  
  
The Last Gift She Expected, Chapter 9: The Morning After : Shinji the Negotiator  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
Maya's eyes opened slowly. It looked like the human whirlwind had passed, and from what she saw, she didn't want to be on the receiving end of any form of attack by Shinji.  
  
[If Shinji could use that kind of martial prowess against his own girlfriend, then I'd hate to see what he could do to an enemy.] Then she remembered that she already has: the gruesome sight of Eva Unit 01 eating the 14th Angel stayed in her mind ever since.  
  
She shifted the weight of her head, so that she could see the wall clock. [Shit! 7:06!] Maya sat up, rubbing her head. Suddenly, a sharp pain jabbed at her stomach. Maya clutched her stomach, still sore from Rei's stiff right knee. She slowly stood up, and noticed that the venetian blinds were missing from the.no, scratch that, the was missing from the window.  
  
She walked to the door, and was shocked by what she saw. "Sempai!" she ran to the still prone body of Ritsuko. Maya knelt down and checked her pulse. [Thank God, she's still alive.who could've done this? Not.Shinji!?]  
  
Maya was about to stand up and run for the Infirmary, when a thought entered her head. [Why?]  
  
She stopped, almost at her feet. [Why am I defending her? What has she done for me? Or more to the point, what has she done TO me? She didn't inject me with that stuff, did she? In the last few days, she hasn't been herself. She isn't with.another.]  
  
Maya knelt down again. "I.I don't need you," she said, striking the unconscious Ritsuko across the face with an open hand. She rose, and walked alone to the Bridge.  
  
--------------  
  
At 7:30, on the dot, Rei opened her eyes. [Damn training,] she thought, [I really need a couple more hours of sleep.]  
  
Rei closed her eyes and tried to sleep again, but to no avail. Having no life outside of Gendo's or Ritsuko's control resulted in her waking at 7:30 every morning. [Dammit!] She rolled over, or would have, if it wasn't for something preventing her. She tried to shrug off the blanket around her, only to find that she was in a sleeping bag.  
  
[Oh yeah, I didn't bring bedding of my own.] Rei used this knowledge and changed her rolling-over technique in accordance. But still there was something stopping her. She looked across to her right. The freckled, spectacled face of Kensuke Aida faced her, still snoring away.  
  
[Aida!? Why are we.did we.?] Rei's mind raced. [Why can't I remember anything? Did I get.drunk?]  
  
Rei smiled. [Hah.I'm acting normally.well, for a teenager.] Kensuke stirred beside Rei. He opened his eyes slightly. At first, Kensuke could barely make out the shape of another person opposite him. Then his vision came into focus.  
  
"Whoa! Good morning, Rei!" Fortunately, this wasn't nearly as loud as it seemed.  
  
"Good morning, Ai - ah, god dammit! Uh.Kensuke!"  
  
Kensuke face-faltered. "Well, it's nice to know you remember me," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry, Kensuke. It's.the whole.last-name thing."  
  
"Huh? Oh, no, don't take me seriously, Rei. I was being sarcastic. You know, joking?"  
  
"Oh. A joke." She looked into Kensuke's eyes. Two broad grins crossed their faces. They then lay back on the ground, staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Um, Kensuke."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Did we.you know."  
  
"Uh.I'm sorry, Rei." Kensuke looked down.  
  
[We did.] Rei smiled. [Shame I can't remember it.] "Was I.um.any good?"  
  
Kensuke sat up in shock. [Last thing I expected Rei to ask.] He lay back down, and faced Rei again. "Well, let's just say now I know why everyone calls you the blue-haired wonder."  
  
Rei smiled. "I could say the same of you.but."  
  
Kensuke's face flushed. "But what?"  
  
"You don't have blue hair."  
  
Kensuke found such a stupid joke hilarious in his current mindset, and tried his best to keep his laughter down.  
  
"You know, I had no idea you were into that kind of music, Rei."  
  
"Oh yeah," Rei said, matter-of-factly, "I've got a few BluVDs full of MP3s. Linkin Park, NERD, POD, Evanescence."  
  
"Hmm.maybe that would've been a better song for a duet." Kensuke lamented, referring to Evanescence's Bring Me To Life.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So.what do you do for spare time?"  
  
"Me? Hmm.I never really had much spare time.when I did I'd go home and play a bit of multi-player."  
  
"Really!?" Kensuke had struck gold. "What's your game?"  
  
"Bit of this, bit of that.I'm unstoppable in Terminal Force."  
  
"You mean that new Half Life 2.0 mod? Well, I suppose you guys got involved with play-testing, didn't you? I mean, you three are actually in the game." Kensuke remembered playing Terminal Force for the first time, and being completely surprised to find that Shinji, Rei and Asuka were all playable characters. "I wonder how they got the rights to use skins of you pilots?"  
  
"You think NERV gets by solely on hand-outs from the UN?" Rei liked this new concept of sarcasm.  
  
Kensuke laughed. "Getting more human all the time.", commenting on Rei's new persona.  
  
"Hey, you guys awake?" Kensuke and Rei glanced across the floor, pinpointing the source of the question.  
  
"Hey, it's Shinji," Kensuke said, recognizing the voice of his buddy. Shinji was sitting in one of the bridge-bunny chairs, sipping away at a can of coffee. "How long have you been awake for?"  
  
"Since about half-past six," Shinji said. "You guys want to eat?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Kensuke said, "Scrambled eggs on toast. What do you want, Rei?"  
  
"Um.just get me some pancakes, please."  
  
"Sure." Shinji walked off. Before he did, he noticed someone under a blanket stir, their arm falling out. Shinji paused, grabbed a can of Yebisu from atop Melchior, and placed it in the hand.  
  
Misato grumbled a low "Thanks, Shinji," before retracting the hand. Kensuke laughed as Shinji walked off. Before Shinji could get too far down the corridor, he could hear a loud "Eyaaaaaaaah!"  
  
[Damn, she can scull them quick.]  
  
------------------  
  
Shinji got to the cafeteria, and was surprised to see people already cooking. "Hey, Shinji," one of them called out.  
  
[Yes! I don't have to cook this morning!] he thought to himself. "Hey guys! One scrambled eggs on toast, and one serve of pancakes, thanks."  
  
"Ah, you taking orders, are you? They'll be about five minutes. Here's your sausage and egg muffin."  
  
Shinji collected his breakfast. "Arigatou," he said as he went to the Dining Hall. He was looking about for a seat when.  
  
"Hey, over here!" Shinji turned to find Asuka in the middle of her third plate of bacon and eggs.  
  
"Hey there, Asuka," Shinji said, setting his plate down next to Asuka. She swallowed a chunk of egg and smiled.  
  
"Remind me to thank Rei for organizing this party," she said as Shinji took a bite from his muffin. They both continued on with their breakfast.  
  
"So, why are you up so early?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Got too cold in bed."  
  
"Aww, I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't you patronize me, baka boy!" Asuka laughed. Shinji put his muffin- less arm around Asuka.  
  
"Shinji." Asuka began, "Thanks.for everything."  
  
Asuka's hand reached for her new pendant. It seemed to glisten in the bright lights of the cafeteria.  
  
"As soon as I've finished this," Asuka said, "I'm gonna find Ritsuko and cut her a new."  
  
"No.don't, Asuka," Shinji said.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"She wasn't herself.her mother was doing all this."  
  
"And how did you figure that out?"  
  
"My mother told me."  
  
Asuka was tempted to ask her boyfriend what the hell he was going on about when she decided against it.  
  
"And plus, I don't even think she's conscious yet. I did throw her through double glazed reinforced windows, after all."  
  
Asuka remembered a question she was going to ask Shinji. "By the way, how in hell did you do that!?"  
  
"I was just so.angry.with her." Shinji began, "She called me a monster, and then.well.I picked her up and threw her out the window."  
  
"Oh." Asuka ate another forkful of bacon.  
  
"Hey, can I sit here?" Shinji and Asuka turned around. Maya Ibuki stood there, a can of coffee in her hand.  
  
"Sure." Shinji said. Maya sat down beside Shinji.  
  
"Listen, I just want to."  
  
"No need," Shinji interrupted.  
  
"But Shinji, I - "  
  
"You were loyal to the one you love. That isn't a crime."  
  
Asuka looked at Shinji as he continued. "I understand what you did, and I might've done the same thing in your situation. I didn't realize that until I fell in love myself."  
  
Shinji now turned his head to face Maya. "All you did was express your love to her. Whether she was sensible enough to recognize it or not doesn't matter: you still did the right thing. If you want to apologize to someone, apologize to Hikari. You never did anything wrong, but Hikari might not understand that."  
  
Maya remained silent for awhile. "Thanks, Shinji." She then stood up and left.  
  
"Is that how you see love?" Asuka asked Shinji.  
  
"In my opinion, love is to care for someone, to try and help them when they're not at ease, and to stand by them in times of hardship." Shinji turned to Asuka. "That's what I want to share with you."  
  
"I." Asuka was speechless, "I don't know what to say."  
  
"Just say you love me."  
  
Her eyes began to water. "Oh, of course I do, baka!" She embraced Shinji, holding him like there was no tomorrow.  
  
----------------  
  
"Yes. Apparently they think the Angels are no more."  
  
'Mrs. Kasumi Suzuhara' was on the phone, reporting her discoveries to her superior.  
  
# And the fourth child? #  
  
"He doesn't seem to remember the events surrounding the defeat of the Thirteenth Angel. This may be as a result of the Angel attack itself, or Doctor Akagi's work.Your plan was successful. Toji seems to believe I am his real mother."  
  
# I see.did Nagisa reveal the existence of the others? #  
  
"No, Project Omega remains a secret."  
  
# Good.remain at your post, and report any abnormal activity immediately. #  
  
"Of course," she replied, "I won't let you down, Commander Loreanz."  
  
She pressed "End" on her phone. As she did, the distinct sound of a gun breach sliding back emanated from behind her.  
  
"So you're gonna kill me, like you did with Kaji."  
  
"Correct," The distinctly cold voice of Gendo Ikari reverberated through the room, "But before you die, you will tell me of this Project Omega that you discussed with Keele just before."  
  
"You know I can't do that, Commander."  
  
"That's a shame. But still, it is good to know that those old fools at SEELE are still alive.maybe I should drop them a line sometime."  
  
'Kasumi' glanced around the room. Only now did she notice that the small apartment was different. "I should've seen that your men had visited earlier," she said to Gendo.  
  
"Goodbye, Kasumi Sugiyama."  
  
The gunshot echoed through the apartment block, scaring many of its inhabitants, one of which left his flat to investigate. He saw a man in a official looking brown suit and sunglasses leaving the apartment. As the elevator closed, the man saw the assailant remove a white glove from his hand, now stained with blood. He ran for the apartment, and was greeted by the sight of his ex-neighbor Kasumi's gray matter scattered throughout the living area.  
  
--------------------  
  
Kensuke had sneaked his way to the Development lab, near the top of the NERV complex. In his hands lay his five second lapse camera, with his precious film. As he closed the door behind him, he fumbled for the IR light switch. When he found it, the room lit up in a red glow. Kensuke chuckled to himself as he opened his camera and retrieved the film. Unwinding it, he soaked it thoroughly in a solution, causing the light radiation absorbed by the film to react, and thus create a negative. Hanging up his negatives to dry, he left the room, chuckling to himself.  
  
[This'll be the best set of prints ever! I'll have so much blackmail material.] he thought to himself, as he went to pick up his breakfast from the cafeteria across the hall.  
  
-------------------  
  
By the time Rei had decided to rise from her sleeping bag, a rather large pile of crushed beer cans had accumulated to the side of Misato's makeshift bed. Rei noticed that a few more people had already risen; only a couple of Asuka's friends, Hikari, Toji and Misato herself were still asleep (or in Misato's case, just couldn't be stuffed getting up). She walked to the door before she heard a soft call, emanating from Misato's blanket.  
  
"Can you get me another beer?" Misato called out. Rei reached over to Melchior, grabbing yet another Yebisu for a drunk-many-times-over Misato. Rolling it under a lifted segment of the blanket, she heard a grunt of thanks and a ring-pull being ripped off of a can of beer. Rei walked on, waiting for Misato's trademark just-finished-sculling-another-morning-beer yell. Stepping out into the hallway, as if on cue, Misato let out her yell, waking up Hikari and Toji.  
  
"Aah!" Hikari and Toji shouted in unison. They sat up, looking across at each other.  
  
"Who the hell was that!?" Hikari asked Toji.  
  
"Probably the Major," Toji informed Hikari, "She always does that after a beer."  
  
"Beer!? This early in the morning!?" Hikari was shocked. Her image of a peerless, perfect Major Misato Katsuragi was destroyed, as have many an image of a peerless, perfect Major Misato Katsuragi.  
  
"Shinji always told me she was a slob, but God-DAMN!" After Toji's statement, Misato finally rose out of bed. [Jeez, it can't be later than eight in the morning!] "Ah well."  
  
"Hey, what's with the 'ah well'?" Hikari asked. Then it hit her. "You used to have a crush on her."  
  
"Uh." Toji debated in his mind whether to tell her or not, or whether it was already too late.  
  
"It's okay," Hikari said, in an almost monotone voice.  
  
"No, wait, Hikari," Toji began, "It was a while ago, before I really knew you. It was just a stupid schoolboy crush."  
  
"I said it's okay," Hikari said, smiling at Toji. Toji wasn't sure whether to believe her or not. [Usually when something like this happens the chick's all emotional.] He looked into Hikari's eyes, for any sign of depression.  
  
"What?" she looked back, wondering what the hell her boyfriend was doing. She started to smile involuntarily, finding the whole situation pretty funny. Toji smiled. [She really must be okay with it.]  
  
"Nothing," Toji said, as he started to get up. Hikari soon followed.  
  
At that time, Asuka reentered the room. "Well, well, well," she grinned, "Had a late night, did we?"  
  
The couple blushed. "Well, your love life really is none of my business," Asuka laughed.  
  
"What brings you here, Asuka?"  
  
"Figured you guys might be hungry," Asuka said, "Want to go grab a bite to eat?"  
  
"Yeah, sure." The couple followed the Second Child out the door. As Asuka was about to exit, a loud groan could be heard from under a rug next to Melchior.  
  
"You've gone through twelve this morning already," Asuka told Misato, "You need to try and cut down."  
  
"Grrr.fuck you, Asuka."  
  
-----------------  
  
Kensuke fed one of the negatives into the projector, and turned the regular light off. He then flicked on the IR light, and moved back to the projector. He turned it on, and began to wait. The image in the negative projected itself onto a blank sheet of photo paper, burning the image onto it. He waited a few seconds, and then turned it off. Taking the sheet of paper, he dunked it into another shallow pool of reeking chemical, picking up the tub and swishing it back and forth, washing the chemical over the picture. After a while, he took it out and looked at it. A perfect color glossy of Shinji and Asuka, in the throes of a deep pash.  
  
[This'll fetch a pretty penny from Shinji and the Devil,] Kensuke thought, [Better not show her yet. She'll probably beat me to a pulp before she even thought about tearing up the picture.] He left the picture to dry, hanging it on a string that went across the small room. Kensuke smiled, then went to work on the next picture.  
  
-------------------  
  
"Just up there, second door on the right," Asuka directed the guests into the cafeteria. Toji opened the door for Hikari, and she went on through. Toji stood at the door, waiting for the She-Devil to go inside.  
  
"No, I've got some other business to take care of," Asuka said. Toji shut the door after him.  
  
-------------------  
  
Kensuke could hear voices outside the door, and recognized one of them as Toji. Kensuke grinned. [Toji would love to be in on this as well!] As he got closer to the door, he recognized someone else's voice.  
  
[Asuka!] Kensuke went to do a quick U-turn, but his elbow accidentally clipped something on a table, due to the bad light. A glass object of some sort fell to the ground, and Kensuke could do nothing, but wait for it to shatter on impact.  
  
------------------  
  
Asuka was about to walk off when she heard something shatter. She froze immediately, and looked for the source of the sound. There was only one door on the right side of that corridor...  
  
[Hmm.did it come from the photo lab?] Asuka walked to the photo lab door, pressing her ear against it, waiting for its occupant to make another sound.  
  
------------------  
  
Kensuke hurriedly pinned his eye to the door, to see if the shatter had drawn any unwanted attention. Seeing Asuka walk towards the door metaphorically ripped out Kensuke's innards, pulverized them in a blender, dropped them on the ground, squashed them a bit, and then tried to glue them back into Kensuke's gaping cavity.  
  
[Shiiiiiit!] Kensuke quickly searched for a hiding spot, and realized that the room was one big dead end. He hurriedly turned off the lights, and hid behind the door. In the few seconds he had before the door opened, he felt inside his pocket, wrapping his hand around the self-defense taser he had bought himself a few weeks back (ironically, when he tried a similar stunt against Asuka). A sudden, chilling thought rushed through his head. Looking up, he saw the damning photograph he had just developed. [Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!] Before he could try to remove it, the door swung open.  
  
Sure enough, it was Asuka cautiously opening the door.  
  
"Hello-o?" she called out in an almost sing-song voice. "Is a-ny-bo-dy he- ere?"  
  
Kensuke pulled the taser out of his pocket. Asuka looked around the room, spotting the photograph. "Hmm.what's this?" She unclipped the photo from the drying line, and examined it. The perfectly developed color picture depicted herself and Shinji, sucking each other's face. The hardly recognizable background could've been anything from (Asuka thought about the numerous places she had kissed Shinji.) the Katsuragi estate, Shinji's Lovely suite, the hot springs at Mt. Asama, or, more likely, the Cage.  
  
"Oh, a bit of a voyeur, are we?" Asuka said out aloud, realizing that Kensuke Aida was still in the room. [That freckled freak's gonna pay!]  
  
Kensuke shut the door, and turned off all the lights. Asuka was now left in the dark, Kensuke, being adjusted to it, could at least see. He walked forward, holding out the taser.  
  
Asuka was dead silent. [Damn you, Kensuke!] she thought, [Just be quiet, Asuka, you'll hear him.]  
  
Kensuke tested the taser, watching the electric pulse spark up between the arches. Unfortunately, the blue light bounced off the walls, as did the buzzing sound it generated. Asuka pounced, grabbing the Stooge's arm and chopping at the wrist. When the taser hit the ground, Asuka pulled Kensuke's arm over her shoulder, and dropped Kensuke to the ground with a textbook throw. Asuka ran for the light switch, confirming her assumption that Kensuke was the intruder.  
  
"So, what's this little toy you've bought to play with, huh?" Asuka smirked. Kensuke groaned on the floor. Asuka picked up the taser.  
  
"You know, this could've really hurt," she grinned devilishly, "Not to mention ruin my perfect complexion."  
  
"Please don't." Kensuke remembered what happened last time they tried something like this: Normally the girls' changing rooms' windows were made of two layers of one-way glass, reflective on the outer layers only. Years before, the older classmen removed the outer layer of glass, leaving one layer of one-way glass, facing inwards. The girls didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but the guys sure did: an unrestricted view of many a high school chick getting changed. When the Stooges found this spot, they agreed that it was far better than the spot they used to use, and Asuka became a much greater target for some amateur photography. During the getaway from one such photo shoot, Kensuke knew that he couldn't run faster than Shinji or Toji, let alone Asuka, so he shocked Toji with the taser, left the camera with him and bolted. Toji didn't turn up at school for a fortnight afterwards.  
  
Asuka inspected the taser. "Ha! This little baby brings back memories now, doesn't it?" Asuka feigned tripping over, and triggered the taser, sending fifty-odd thousand volts of power coursing into the Aida boy. His screams reverberated through the small room.  
  
"AaAaAaAaAaAh! Shit! That hurts!" Kensuke screamed. [What kind of monster is she!?]  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, must've tripped." Asuka continued to use the taser at regular intervals.  
  
"Do you get off by torturing people or something!?" Kensuke cried in between taser bursts, "God, I pity Shinji."  
  
"No, I just get off by torturing Stooges!" Asuka laughed. Applying the taser again, she gave a rather good imitation of sexual cries. "Oh, Kensuke! Scream a little louder! Oh, Kensuke! Oh, oh, oooooh!"  
  
Kensuke's back was hurting from all of the jolts, so he rolled over. Big mistake. Despite the torture, Asuka's erotic moans had an untold effect on him, especially in the groin area.  
  
Asuka noticed it, and electrified his bits and pieces in disgust. "Perverse dumbkopf! Baka hentai!"  
  
Kensuke suddenly didn't have the mind to cry for help. His attention was drawn to something a little more immediate.  
  
The door creaked open. Shinji entered, and wasn't sure what to make of the scene in front of him. At this stage, Asuka was straddling the Stooge, repeatedly stunning Kensuke's chest with the taser, not that Shinji could see the taser from where he was.  
  
Shinji could only find one appropriate expression. "What the FUCK is going on here!?"  
  
"See for yourself." Asuka motioned toward the picture she had placed on the bench. Shinji picked it up, and immediately realized what was going on.  
  
"Kensuke! What is this?" Shinji turned to his best friend, lying crippled underneath Asuka's 36-24-36 (Shinji's rough, biased estimate) frame. "You went behind our backs and took photos of us?"  
  
"Shinji.help." Kensuke whimpered before becoming a human Christmas tree once more.  
  
"Well that explains the position you're in," Shinji said, "but what about those cries you made, Asuka?"  
  
The mistress laughed. "Well, apparently torturing people turns me on," she said, in a faux matter-of-fact voice. Embedding the dangerous end of the taser back into Kensuke's midsection, she mimicked her previous cries.  
  
Shinji smiled. "Pretty convincing," he complimented, "You had me fooled. Outside, all I heard was you and a buzzing noise." Asuka thought this was hilarious, and continued her thunderous assault.  
  
"I think he's had enough, Asuka," Shinji said, "He's learnt his lesson."  
  
"What, are you siding with the Stooge now?" Asuka was shocked.  
  
"No, I just think he wants to deal his way out of this predicament." Shinji said. After a short pause, "Who else is on that film?"  
  
"If your girlfriend lets me get up, I can get the negatives for you."  
  
Asuka stood up, letting Kensuke stand up. He hobbled toward a table, and picked up a handful of negatives. As he approached Shinji, he whispered something.  
  
"You bastard.I thought you.were my friend."  
  
Shinji's reply: "I am. I just saved your life."  
  
He handed Shinji the negatives. Shinji held them to the light. "Okay, I see.Misato drunk off her head and clothed only from the waist down.confirmation of Dr. Akagi and Lt. Ibuki's sexuality.ooh, you and Rei.and this famous picture." Shinji lifted the copy of him and Asuka in the Cage. Shinji took the photo in both hands and ripped the photo down the center.  
  
"Please don't take offence, darling," he said to Asuka, who smiled at Shinji's dry brand of humor.  
  
"You can keep the negative, but that particular shot has to go," Asuka demanded. Kensuke nodded slowly.  
  
Shinji had more demands. "You use these photos, you include us in your demands."  
  
Asuka was confused. "Demands?"  
  
"How.do you think.we were.gonna use.those shots.of you?" Kensuke panted.  
  
"Just gimme one more shot at him."  
  
"Wait, Asuka," Shinji stopped Asuka before she got homicidal. "He's right. They, WERE," shooting a look at Kensuke, "going to use them for that. I've got the pictures hidden inside my cello at home. You can rip them up yourself when you get home."  
  
Asuka took all this in, and nodded. "Now, Asuka, put the taser down." Asuka shot Shinji a dirty look. "Please."  
  
Asuka nodded, lowering the device to the floor. Shinji silently thanked Asuka with a nod. Shinji searched the table for some scissors. Picking up a handy pair, he snipped at the last frame of the negative in his hand, the one depicting him and Asuka. After he was satisfied that he had made a large enough mess of that frame, he put down the negative.  
  
"C'mon, man," he said to Kensuke, "Let's get you to an Infirmary."  
  
"Uh, yeah, sorry about all that, Kensuke," Shinji and Kensuke both turned around to see Asuka.  
  
"What? Come on, it was funny!"  
  
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What is the enigmatic Project Omega that Gendo was talking about? Would Misato last one morning without beer? Have I started to run out of cheesy questions to put at the end of a chapter!? (uh.yes.) Please, just read the FINAL CHAPTER of The Last Thing She Expected!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
My First Omake (pleeeease be the right word): It Wasn't Half Obvious.  
  
At 7:30, on the dot, Rei opened her eyes. [Damn training,] she thought, [I really need a couple more hours of sleep.]  
  
Rei closed her eyes and tried to sleep again, but to no avail. Having no life outside of Gendo's or Ritsuko's control resulted in her waking at 7:30 every morning. [Dammit!] She rolled over, or would have, if it wasn't for something preventing her. She tried to shrug off the blanket around her, only to find that she was in a sleeping bag.  
  
[Oh yeah, I didn't bring bedding of my own.] Rei used this knowledge and changed her rolling-over technique in accordance. But still there was something stopping her. She looked across to her right. The freckled, spectacled face of Kensuke Aida faced her, still snoring away.  
  
[Aida!? Why are we.did we.?] Rei's mind raced. [Why can't I remember anything? Did I get.drunk?]  
  
Rei smiled. [Hah.I'm acting normally.well, for a teenager.] Kensuke stirred beside Rei. He opened his eyes slightly. At first, Kensuke could barely make out the shape of another person opposite him. Then his vision came into focus.  
  
"Whoa! Good morning, Rei!" Fortunately, this wasn't nearly as loud as it seemed.  
  
"Good morning, Ai - ah, god dammit! Uh.Kensuke!"  
  
Kensuke face-faltered. "Well, it's nice to know you remember me," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry, Kensuke. It's.the whole.last-name thing."  
  
"Huh? Oh, no, don't take me seriously, Rei. I was being sarcastic. You know, joking?"  
  
"Oh. A joke." She looked into Kensuke's eyes. Two broad grins crossed their faces. They then lay back on the ground.  
  
"Um, Kensuke."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Did we.you know."  
  
"Uh.I'm sorry, Rei." Kensuke looked down.  
  
[We did.] Rei smiled. [Shame I can't remember it.] "Was I.um.any good?"  
  
Kensuke sat up in shock. [Last thing I expected Rei to ask.] He lay back down, and faced Rei again. "Well, let's just say now I know why everyone calls you the blue-haired wonder."  
  
Rei smiled. "I could say the same of you.but."  
  
Kensuke's face flushed. "But what?"  
  
"You don't have blue hair."  
  
Kensuke found such a stupid joke hilarious in his current mindset, and tried his best to keep his laughter down.  
  
"Hmm." Kensuke looked back up. "Looks like they finally won."  
  
"Who won? What do you mean?"  
  
"You mean you never picked up? God, it wasn't half obvious."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Haven't you noticed everyone trying to set us up!? Jeez! Ever since Asuka turned up, every second thing anyone's said to me was 'when are you gonna ask out Rei?'"  
  
"Come to think of it, it was Maya's idea to pash you last night."  
  
"Toji, other guys at school, hell, even the author of this bloody fan-fic!"  
  
"Yeah, I mean, why would we sing Crawling together? That'd be the last song I'd sing in a duet."  
  
"Maybe Bring Me to Life, but Crawling."  
  
Rei gasped. "You like Evanescence too!?"  
  
"Yeah, I hate the new kind of music. It got too poppy after the Twenty- Tens."  
  
"Ha.I thought I was the only one."  
  
"Yeah.well I suppose Psyanchosis could've made get into a series of funny yet embarrassing situations."  
  
Just then, a giant ghostly hand descended through the ceiling, and a booming voice rang out clear throughout the Bridge. "Yeah, damn straight I could've," I said, pointing at the couple.  
  
Unfortunately, this woke up most of the room's other inhabitants. Misato turned to Rei and Kensuke.  
  
"Unh, dammit, Kensuke, don't talk about the author while others are sleeping!" she half-yawned, half-yelled.  
  
"Just leave 'em alone, Misato," I tried to calm her down.  
  
"No, dammit! I wanted sleep! I was up till three last night, because these two fuckers", thumbing toward Rei and Kensuke, "were.ah, well.fucking!"  
  
Rei thought a bible quote was appropriate. "Well, the Lord did say 'be fruitful and multiply'."  
  
"Aw, fuckin' hell, Rei."  
  
I added, "The Lord also said 'shut the hell up, Misato'! Go back to sleep!" The astral hand clicked its fingers, and all who were awake, apart from Rei and Kensuke, fell asleep again.  
  
Kensuke looked to the roof. "Thanks," he said.  
  
"Anytime," I said, as I withdrew my hand. The lovers looked at each other again.  
  
"Dammit," Rei complained, "I can't get back to sleep." She looked at Kensuke saucily.  
  
"Oh, bugger." Kensuke grinned. "Nor can I."  
  
(still better be the right word.)  
  
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Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Author's Note: That chapter was bloody big. At least by my standards. Apart from that, I'm sorry if the last scene in the photo lab seemed a little out of place. I was writing it while watching a certain piece of cinematic perfection called Die Hard. You guys are lucky that Asuka didn't kill Kensuke, all the while shouting "Yippie-Ki-Yay, motherfucker!" Anyway, the whole thing will come to a head next chapter. Once again, thanks to all my readers and reviewers. You guys are the ones that have kept this going. By the way, I have to give credit to ChiRho and his highly recommended fan fic 'The Ikari Doctrine' for the idea about the school change rooms. Be sure to hang around for the last chapter of this fic, coming soon. Sayonara! 


	10. One More Final : Vengeance

Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Last time on The Last Gift She Expected...The gang wake up the morning after Asuka's party, many of whom barely remember the events of the night before. Gendo acts upon the discovery of another spy, while Misato lies around asking people for beer. Kensuke is finally busted for his camera, much to Asuka's enjoyment. Shinji successfully satisfies Asuka's thirst for revenge, while sparing Kensuke's life. But what is this Project Omega that Gendo had heard of?  
  
And now, the thrilling conclusion to The Last Gift She Expected...  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
Misato staggered down the corridor, barely maintaining her balance. [Just one foot in front of the other...that's it...] She slowly walked down the corridor, finally coming across a vending machine.  
  
[Man, sure could go for a coffee...] Her hand reached into her pockets, feeling around for change. [Does this thing take fives?] A quick look confirmed it. Misato grabbed her purse and fumbled around in it for a five- yen note. She pulled one out from her purse and tried to feed it into the machine. She waited for the machine to detect the note and spit out her coffee, but was dismayed to see the note reappear from the slot.  
  
[God damn...] Misato took the note and tried to straighten it against the wall, before trying to put it in again. This time it accepted the note, but no can came out.  
  
Misato growled. [You sure picked the wrong woman to piss off this early in the morning!] She reared back and kicked the machine, once, twice, thrice, until her heel got itself wedged in the plastic covering, snapping off her shoe.  
  
"Ah crap!" Misato yelled in anguish. "This is too early in the morning for this shit!"  
  
---------------  
  
"I think you fail to realize that we are the ones who call the shots, Ikari." The fearless commander sat at his desk, surrounded by a ring of holographic projections of what seemed to be obelisks, twelve of them in a circle around his desk.  
  
"Yes, you exist simply to follow orders, or have you forgotten that?"  
  
Gendo's face remained unchanged, despite the threatening tone of the Seele committee. "I exist to maintain the Evangelions for active service, not to follow your orders anymore. Now, it has come to my attention that you have a Project Omega that I was not informed of. Would you care to enlighten me?"  
  
"No, we wouldn't, Ikari," one of the Obelisks said, "We have no reason to obey any sort of command from you."  
  
Ikari's face remained emotionless. "Don't think that I have forgotten that you were the ones that sent us Kaworu Nagisa. If you attempt any such operation again, the Evangelions will retaliate in full force. After all, we do know your weak point."  
  
"That remains to be seen." The obelisks disappeared, instantaneously. The room grew lighter, as Fuyutski entered Gendo's office.  
  
"Seele are planning another offensive, aren't they?"  
  
"It would seem so. Our defense budget has been slowly but surely whittled away. It wouldn't surprise me if I found out this was their ultimate goal to begin with."  
  
"I suggest that NERV proves it's usefulness to organizations outside of the control of Seele, if we are to survive."  
  
"No, Professor," Gendo rebutted, "We can repel any sort of offensive, Angelic or otherwise."  
  
"I have come here with bad news, Commander," Fuyutski continued, "It seems that Dr. Akagi's experimentation on Rei has been ceased."  
  
"I see." Gendo was upset. [Does this mean she will begin to become aware of her existence?]  
  
"Shall I terminate her?"  
  
"No," Gendo said, "We no longer have any spares, thanks to Dr. Akagi. Send me the one responsible."  
  
"Yes sir." Fuyutski left. Gendo remained at his desk. [My boy, this time you have gone too far...]  
  
---------------  
  
"Asuka Sohryu, welcome to the Way of the Stooge..."  
  
"Say that again, Kensuke and I will kill you."  
  
Asuka and Shinji had joined Kensuke in the photo lab, developing Kensuke's photos.  
  
"So Asuka, what do you want from Misato?"  
  
"Misato? Well, uh...I could use a new PlayStation4..."  
  
"Two new PlayStation4s."  
  
"Aw, c'mon Shinji, we can share one..." Asuka smiled to Shinji, and they shared a quick kiss, ignoring the gagging motions from Kensuke.  
  
Shinji agreed. "Okay, one PS4. You?"  
  
"Well, I sure could go for some photo time with the Evas..." This only received dirty looks from the two lovers. "With a real camera."  
  
"It better be. If you pull any of this kind of crap on me again, I swear I'll..."  
  
"Asuka, calm down, please." Shinji comforted his girl.  
  
The photo that Kensuke was working on was done. He motioned to Shinji, who turned on the light. The light revealed a crystal clear picture of Misato, a beer in one hand, her top in the other, doing some crazy dance called the Macarena or something like that.  
  
"I have to admit, it's a quality picture, Kensuke," Shinji commended Kensuke's photography skills.  
  
"Alright, I admit it," Asuka confessed, "You're not such a idiot after all, Kensuke."  
  
"Thanks, Asuka," Kensuke said slowly, not sure how to take this newfound acceptance. "Anyway, that's how you do it. Can I trust you guys with developing the rest?"  
  
"Um...we're only allowed to spend a certain amount of time here..." Shinji was wondering why Asuka was bargaining for some extra time, at least until he felt a hand reaching for his groin in the dark.  
  
Kensuke frowned. "Okay, just get as many done as you can until you have to go, then give the rest of the negatives to me. Everyone gets a copy of each picture. Understand?"  
  
"Yeah, okay, Kensuke..." Kensuke eyed the pair suspiciously. [Hmph. They just want more private time...] Kensuke left the room. Almost immediately, Asuka and Shinji leapt at each other, in a mad rush of passion. Asuka pulled Shinji back into a table, knocking it over accidentally. Kensuke, only just clear of the door, easily heard this.  
  
"Sex fiends," he muttered as he left the corridor.  
  
"Excuse me?" Kensuke turned around sharply at Rei's voice.  
  
"Ah, Shinji and Asuka," Kensuke whined, "Four days ago they hated each others' guts, and now they can't keep their hands out of each others' pants. I just don't get it..."  
  
"I fail to see the complication," Rei said, shedding a microscopic amount of woodenness in her voice every sentence she spoke, "Isn't this normal behavior for people who love each other?"  
  
Kensuke looked away, shaking his head. "Yes, but...it just seems wrong..."  
  
Rei walked up to Kensuke. "Why?" Rei pulled Kensuke around gently to face him.  
  
"Well, Asuka's always hated, um, Shinji, and..." Kensuke seemed to lose his words as Rei wrapped her arms around Kensuke's neck, her arms inadvertently pushing her assets together.  
  
"Well?" [This is fun...]  
  
"It...well, always..." Kensuke felt a trickle protrude from one of his nostrils, and an odd coppery taste in his mouth. [Aw, crap, a nosebleed...] He thought as blood rushed elsewhere.  
  
Rei silenced Kensuke's stammering with a lingering kiss. Kensuke stood dumb for a moment, then returned the favor. After a few minutes of pashing, their mouths parted.  
  
"Rei," Kensuke said slowly, "I don't have to worry about..."  
  
"I've been told not to worry about something like that," Rei said seductively, knowing what he was talking about.  
  
As Kensuke was dragged off down the corridor by Rei, his words lingered: "You're getting good at this whole emotion thing, Rei..." This was barely audible over the intercom, which suddenly bared to life.  
  
"Would Shinji Ikari please report to the Commander's Office. Shinji Ikari to the Commander's Office, immediately."  
  
The photo lab door opened, and a scruffed up Shinji poked his head around the door.  
  
"Wassat for me?" he muttered. Asuka's head also poked around the door, her hair mussed up and tangled, her skirt held up by one string on her shoulder. Both had very disappointed looks on their faces.  
  
"Verdamnt!" Asuka cursed, while readjusting her skirt. Shinji ran his hand through his head and stepped out into the corridor.  
  
"What does father want me for?" Shinji asked as he walked down the corridor.  
  
"Um, Shinji..." Shinji turned back to his lover, catching up to him. She stopped, reaching towards his beltline.  
  
"You don't want to see your dad like this," Asuka said as she zipped up Shinji's fly. His face flushed red, as he took Asuka under his arm and walked on towards Gendo Ikari's office.  
  
--------------  
  
Shinji and Asuka took tentative steps across the marble floor tiles across Gendo Ikari's office. The walls were comprised almost entirely of windows, except that the blinds were closed, plunging the room in an eerie darkness. A dim light was present in the middle of the room, by which Shinji noticed the motif on the ceiling of the room. A strange circular pattern was visible, what could be assumed as the head of the figure hanging above the desk.  
  
"I still don't know what your dad would want with us, Shinji," Asuka said, slightly spooked by the room.  
  
"I don't know..." Shinji walked toward the desk. At that moment, a voice penetrated the dimly lit room.  
  
"I brought you here to discuss your conduct in the past twelve hours."  
  
Shinji spun at the familiar voice, that of his father. Gendo continued.  
  
"Since you arrived here at 1800 hours, you have intruded into a restricted area, committed grotesque acts in that area, used an Evangelion for personal use, you physically assaulted two NERV personnel..."  
  
"Two? I only..."  
  
"And insubordination to a commander..." Gendo frowned. "You have shown severe disrespect to your position as an Eva pilot."  
  
"Really?" Shinji surprised himself at his confidence, and the fact that he stood up to his own father. "And who else do you have in mind to pilot it? If I recall, last time someone else tried to use my Eva, they were rejected."  
  
"It is not your Evangelion, Shinji-boy," Gendo growled. "I would watch your tone if I were you..."  
  
"You don't have to take this shit, Shinji," Asuka supported.  
  
Gendo smirked. "Ah, the girl, always standing by your man?" He gave a just-short-of-demonic laugh. "I wonder how you would react to what I have to say..."  
  
"Shut up, Ikari!" Asuka shouted, tears welling. "Shin-chan means a lot to me. I'll never let him go!"  
  
"I suppose you're wondering how Shinji had the strength to lift a person almost 50% heavier than he, with one hand, and throw her through a tempered glass window?"  
  
Asuka stopped. [Yeah...how did he do that?] Shinji and Asuka remained silent.  
  
"My guess is that it has something to do with being absorbed by Eva Unit One. After all, it was her who gave it to him..."  
  
Shinji was confused. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Ah, my dear, Shinji," Gendo smirked, "I think it's time you learnt the truth..."  
  
Shinji wasn't sure what his father was on about. "What do you mean?"  
  
"When you were absorbed by the 14th Angel," Gendo explained, "your genetic material was combined with that of the Eva. While we were able to reconstruct your body, and return your soul into it, there was a minor, ahem, complication..."  
  
Shinji recognized betrayal in his father's tone. "What?" the Third Child said in a low tone. He tried to imagine what kind of dark secret had been kept from him since that fateful day.  
  
"Part of the Evangelion's genetic information was passed on to you. Normally, this would result in instability of the genetic level, but in your case, it combined with you..."  
  
"I'm...part Eva?" Shinji confirmed, heart racing so as not to hear the female gasp behind him. Asuka knew what Eva Unit One did while it was berserk. [But they never told Shin-chan...he still doesn't know what it did...]  
  
"It's not quite as simple as that," Gendo smiled, his cold voice gaining that extra bit of penetration to it, "While it was berserk, Eva Unit One ingested roughly 83% of the 14th Angel's S2 component, or as you call it, its Core. Once it restabilized, this was detected as a change in the Eva's genetic pattern..."  
  
Shinji's heart skipped a beat. "No way...you're telling me...I..."  
  
"Correct," Gendo finished, "You now have a Core."  
  
"No..." Shinji's head lowered, his fists clenched by his side. A distraught Asuka felt a cold chill up her spine, travelling toward her heart. [Shin-chan's an Angel...]  
  
"You are an Angel now," Gendo said, accusingly, "And we all know what the task of an Eva pilot is..." Asuka gasped as Gendo turned to her. "Pilot Asuka Langley Sohryu," Gendo commanded, placing particular emphasis on "pilot", "I order you to eliminate the 19th Angel."  
  
Asuka felt a sharp, restricting pain across her throat. Her eyes met with Shinji's, both pairs beginning to glisten with tears.  
  
"Do it..." Shinji's low mutter could barely be heard as a pistol slid across the room towards Asuka. The Third Child dropped to his knees, fists clenched, arms by his sides. "Do it. I've become the enemy..."  
  
Asuka picked up the weapon, aiming it at her love. She looked down the sight, at her Shin-chan, and walked with even-paced steps towards him. As she got closer, a voice in her mind screamed at her to stop, to drop the gun. With every step it grew louder and louder, until finally she surrendered to her heart, stumbling toward Shinji, dropping to her knees, her hands wrapping tightly around her Shin-chan.  
  
Asuka let go, and stood up. She glared angrily at her employer, then leveled the gun at him.  
  
"He always told me that you were a cold-hearted bastard, but I didn't realize you were this bad. You don't deserve to live..."  
  
She pulled the trigger. A loud flash filled the room, the report deafening its occupants for a brief period of time. Asuka was somewhat dismayed to find that Gendo Ikari wasn't hurt. [Oh no...did I miss?]  
  
"You think I would give you a loaded gun?" Gendo laughed. "It was a blank. I knew you would rather kill me than your boyfriend..."  
  
Gendo raised another pistol. "I can assure you that this contains live ammunition."  
  
Asuka stood back, helpless, possibly for only the second time in her life. She didn't like this feeling, this sinking feeling in her stomach. She didn't like the constant tides of depression, crashing wave after wave against her resolve. She didn't like being helpless, hopeless...  
  
Suddenly, Shinji stood up, in front of Asuka, arms spread, fists still clenched. Asuka gasped. [Is he...protecting me? How can he stop a bullet..?]  
  
"You're...NOT...touching Asuka..." Shinji's voice lowered dramatically, almost to match his father, if it wasn't for a strange hissing snarl in his voice, making it all the more scary. Shinji's head was lowered, his right arm slowly moving in front of him. Suddenly, Gendo opened fire.  
  
Eight shots echoed through the room. Asuka could've sworn that her life would end in that instant. Her life flashed before her eyes, memories forgotten since the 16th Angel flooded back to her. There was an odd silence...  
  
[Am I dead?] Asuka opened her eyes. Shinji was still standing there, apparently unhurt. [But...how?] About now, she noticed the orange glow surrounding her Shin-chan. Shinji stood there, arm outstretched, his head bowed.  
  
Shinji looked up. Gendo gasped, as his son's gleaming, penetrating red eyes stabbed into his soul, like a prog knife through butter.  
  
Gendo gasped. "So, it's true..."  
  
-----------------  
  
In the Bridge, Misato was leaning back in a chair with her canned coffee, looking out across the holographic representation of the city in content. Suddenly, the room was flooded in a pulsing red light, klaxons blaring.  
  
Misato sat bolt upright, ejecting her coffee all over the console. "WHAT THE!?"  
  
Gazing into the monitor, she gasped in horror at the words, "UNKNOWN ENTITY", "Blood Pattern: BLUE", "Target: Angel #19"...  
  
-----------------  
  
"No, Gendo," Shinji spoke, but to Asuka it appeared that there were two people speaking. Gendo immediately recognized the second voice...  
  
"It can't be...YUI!?" Gendo stared in horror at his son, the 19th Angel, red eyes gleaming.  
  
"Wrong again, Rokubungi," Shinji said, "It wasn't only the S2 core that was transferred between pilot and Eva. I've also attained her memories, apparently. And no, I'm not an Angel."  
  
"But, you used an AT field..."  
  
Asuka looked in front of Shinji. Indeed, eight bullets were pinned in the air, suspended by eight identical sets of glowing, orange, hexagonal shapes. Asuka gasped. [He really is an Angel...]  
  
"This?" Shinji gave a short laugh. "Someone once told me that this is merely the light of my soul, creating an area of protection around myself that no one may dare enter."  
  
Asuka felt Shinji's presence in her mind. Asuka smiled as Shinji continued.  
  
"He also told me that any of us Lilim have the ability to use it...we just need to know we can."  
  
Shinji's frame rose from the floor, his feet left dangling in the air. "This is undoubtedly an advantage of my Angelic side..."  
  
Shinji advanced menacingly toward Gendo. Asuka and Shinji were then privy to something truly amazing: the Immovable Object, Gendo Ikari, pleading for his life.  
  
"No...please, don't kill me...I must see her again."  
  
"Oh, for Christ's sake, let it go, Rokubungi," Shinji had no pity for his father, "She's dead, get over it."  
  
Shinji clutched his father by the throat. "At least I'm not quite as fragile as I once was," he said as he began to squeeze the life from his dad. "Gendo, I could release you from all this pain. Who knows, you might wind up with her again..."  
  
Asuka realized what Shinji was about to do. "No, Shinji...don't do it...even he doesn't deserve this..."  
  
"What's the matter, son?" Gendo snarled with the little air he had left, "Running away again?"  
  
Asuka was shocked at Gendo's remark. "That's too far..."  
  
Shinji growled, and twisted his hand suddenly. He felt something snap inside Gendo's neck, and saw his face flop into an emotionless heap. Asuka gasped as the lifeless body of Gendo Rokubungi slipped to the floor.  
  
Shinji lowered himself to the ground, hanging his head, finally unclenching his hand, arms dropping to his side. Asuka looked at Shinji, unsure of what to do. Slowly, she reached out an arm, placing her hand on Shinji's shoulder.  
  
"Are...are you alright, Shin-chan?"  
  
Shinji reached his arm around, placing his left hand on Asuka's. He craned his head around, his newly deep blue eyes gazing into Asuka's. "I'll be fine...I know it..." They walked out of the room, hand in hand, leaving the corpse of NERV's head commander lying in his office.  
  
-------------------  
  
The door to the Bridge slid open, showing Shinji and Asuka the panic that his little stunt had caused. NERV personnel were rushing everywhere, Misato glancing at the door, and seeing the pair.  
  
"Oh, Shinji, Asuka, thank god you're here," Misato said, dragging the pair in by his shirt and her dress. Shinji and Asuka could not help get dragged into the Bridge.  
  
Maya shifted her head toward Misato. "The scanners aren't picking anything up, Major," she explained the current situation, "It's as if the Angel didn't exist..."  
  
"Um, yeah, there's a good explanation for that..." Shinji tried to tell Misato of his newfound heritage.  
  
"The Magi have detected a foreign being, inside Tokyo-3..." Aoba reported.  
  
"Keep an eye on it," Misato barked, "Tell me if it gets narrowed down at all."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
"Misato, Shinji has something impor..."  
  
"Not now, Asuka," Misato cut off Asuka, "We have a situation here. Maya, how's the Blood Pattern?"  
  
I  
  
"Still Orange," Maya reported, "Maybe it's calmed down..."  
  
"These things never calm down. It's planning something...I know it..."  
  
"Misato, we know..."  
  
Aoba cut in this time. "Oh my God! Magi Melchior has narrowed it down to the Geo Front!" Everyone gasped as they watched Aoba's screen. He continued his commentary. "Quadrant Four...section B-20...OH MY GOD, IT'S IN HERE!!!"  
  
Shinji couldn't take it anymore. He stabilized his AT field, sending a million more klaxons in the room haywire. Cries from various bridge- bunnies filled the room.  
  
"Blood Pattern Blue! Angel number 19 confirmed!"  
  
"What!? Why can't we see it!?"  
  
Misato's attention turned to Shinji, and Asuka, standing behind her love. Misato's focus was drawn to Shinji's eyes. Something was different...his eyes...were they red?  
  
"You can see the Nineteenth Angel," Shinji said calmly, "It's me."  
  
Ten or so chins hit the ground. They all gaped at Shinji, too shocked to do much more than breathe. After a while, Maya had the common sense to turn off the sirens and alert signals.  
  
At about this time, Kensuke and Rei walked into the room, flirting with each other. It didn't take them long to figure out what was up.  
  
"Huh?" Kensuke looked around. "What's the matter? What happened?"  
  
Rei looked at Shinji. "What's going on, Shinji?"  
  
Shinji looked at Rei, waiting for her to notice. When Rei did, she gasped. "Your eyes...they're like mine now...what does that mean..?"  
  
"Yes, I think we'd all like to know that, Shinji-kun..." Misato said, slightly slurring her words through a combination of hangover and pure shock.  
  
"I'm..." Shinji began, "I'm the Nineteenth Angel." This didn't explain a hell of a lot, so Shinji decided to explain what happened.  
  
"Shinji," Misato said slowly, "I don't know what to say..."  
  
Many a bridge bunny left the room in a hurry, leaving only Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Kensuke and Misato.  
  
"Just see him for who he is," Asuka said, "He's had a rough day..." Asuka's arms looped around Shinji's shoulders.  
  
Kensuke appeared scared of Shinji. "You're...you're an...an An-n-gel?"  
  
"Yep." Kensuke looked at Shinji, his expression of terror starting to grow into a smile.  
  
"COOL! COOL! COOL! COOL! COOL! My best buddy isn't just an Eva pilot but an Angel as well! THIS IS SO AWESOME!"  
  
This earned a sock to the head from Asuka. "You jerk! He still hasn't come to terms with it completely! Give him a break, alright?"  
  
Rei was reminded of her own origins, and looked at Kensuke. "You know, there's something I feel like I should tell you..."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
That's it! It's all over! That was the last Last Gift She Expected! Depending on reader feedback, I am thinking of making a sequel to it, continuing on with this story. If you want it, just ask! Please send me an email at psyanchosis@yahoo.com.au with your thoughts, ideas for the sequel title and other things. Please get back to me!  
  
By the way, seeing as it's the last chapter before a new story, I'll give you the opportunity to decide a major factor leading into the beginning of the next section. Just e-mail me with your answer to this question: should Gendo die? Please respond, Gendo's life is in YOUR hands...  
  
Note: My real name is NOT Hideaki Anno. I do not own Gainax or any of its creations let alone Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Characters, locations, themes, and ideas used in this fic are used without permission from Gainax or Hideaki Anno.  
  
Lyrics from the Linkin Park song "Nobody's Listening" used without permission  
  
Author's Note: Please watch out for my next project, Where Am I? It'll be a self-insert, but if you can look past that, I'm sure you'll find a good story there. Hopefully by then, I'll have enough ideas to start working on a sequel to this, my first ever completed fan-fic. Arigato gozaimasu and Sayonara! 


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